More Time For Industries: CPCB Extends Deadline To Register On New OCEMS Portal
Earlier in its order in October, the CPCB had asked all the industries to register themselves on the new OCEMS portal from the old one.
Published : December 29, 2025 at 5:12 PM IST
By Santu Das
New Delhi: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has given an additional time to industries across the country which are yet to register themselves on its new Online Continuous Effluent Monitoring System (OCEMS) portal.
The extension of time has been given by the CPCB after it took note that several industries across the Northern region and other parts of India still have not started data transmission on its new OCEMS portal, defying its order.
Earlier in its order in October, the CPCB had asked all the industries to register themselves on the new OCEMS portal from the old one and transmit data through it. It had set a deadline of October 15 for industries in the Delhi-NCR to register on the new portal, while industries located in other areas of the country till November 15.
It then directed the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) to ensure strict adherence in this regard and initiate appropriate action against those industries which fail to register on the new portal within the given timeframe.
Notably, OCEMS plays a crucial role in pollution control by enabling continuous, real-time monitoring of emissions and effluents, ensuring transparency and minimizing data manipulation.
The OCEMS used by industries for the continuous monitoring of their air emissions and water effluent ensures compliance with environmental regulations. These systems transmit real-time data to relevant agencies, which gives alerts if pollution levels exceed established thresholds, thereby enabling timely corrective actions.
To monitor the release of pollutants through air emissions and effluent discharge from industries with significant pollution potential, the CPCB issued directives on February 2, 2014, under section 18(1) b of the Water and Air Acts to the SPCBs and PCCs. This was aimed at guiding the 17 categories, including pulp and paper, distillery, sugar, tanneries, power plants, cement, oil refineries, fertiliser, as well as common biomedical waste, to install online effluent quality and common emission monitoring systems.
The recent order issued by the CPCB, for the industries which did not register themselves on the new OCEMS portal, sets a deadline for such industries in Delhi-NCR till December 31 and the rest of the country till January 31.
"The CPCB has developed a new OCEMS portal for direct transmission of data from industries to the CPCB server. All the industries registered on the old portal or the industries under direction to install OCEMS are required to register on the new portal and transmit data through the new portal. The SPCBs/PCCs have also been directed to ensure onboarding of Delhi-NCR industries by October 15 and industries in the rest of the country by November 15," read the order issued by the CPCB, a copy of which was accessed by ETV Bharat.
The order further said, "However, it has been observed that many industries have still not started data transmission on the new OCEMS portal. In this regard, all the industries which are not transmitting data to the new OCEMS portal shall initiate data transmission by December 31 (for Delhi-NCR), and by January 31 (for the rest of the country), failing which appropriate action may be initiated against industries that do not start data transmission to the portal within the above time period."
To facilitate the onboarding of industries to the new portal, CPCB is operating three telephonic helpdesks on all working days to address the queries related to registration and data transmission, it stated.
In response to a query over the new OCEMS portal, sources in the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Monday told ETV Bharat, those industries which register themselves on the new portal will be shut down.
Earlier, a member of the CPCB told ETV Bharat that the new portal is an advanced version of the previous portal, designed to guarantee seamless monitoring.
Environmentalist Views
Reacting to the CPCB's extension of the deadline for registration to the new portal, environmentalist BS Vohra told ETV Bharat, "Despite the timeline prescribed by CPCB for migration to the new OCEMS, many industries failed to comply due to technical difficulties, high costs, vendor delays, lack of skilled manpower, and connectivity issues, particularly in remote areas. In this context, CPCB’s decision to extend the deadline was pragmatic and outcome-oriented, as the primary goal is effective pollution control rather than mere penal action."
He asserted, however, that such extensions should be time-bound and accompanied by strict action against willful non-compliance to preserve regulatory credibility.
Mentioning OCEMS's role in tackling pollution, Vohra said, "OCEMS plays a crucial role in pollution control by enabling continuous, real-time monitoring of emissions and effluents, ensuring transparency and minimizing data manipulation. It allows early detection of violations, supports data-driven regulation, and reduces reliance on manual sampling, prone to errors and corruption. By enhancing accountability and enabling prompt regulatory intervention, OCEMS strengthens compliance, promotes cleaner technologies, and improves overall environmental governance."
It may be mentioned that, as per data of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, between 2014 and 2022, out of 4,247 industrial units, 3,535 industries successfully installed and connected OCEMS to the CPCB and SPCB servers.
