changeadminIn the 1960s, a chemical company based in Ganjam, Odisha, used mercury cell technology, which released significant amounts of elemental mercury into the environment over 4–5 decades.
The industrial effluent substantially altered the chemical properties of the nearby Rushikulya estuary, including increased pH, alkalinity, hardness, chlorinity, and elevated chemical oxygen demand and biological oxygen demand.
Gradually, it entered aquatic and terrestrial biota, posing significant risks to crop fields (via irrigation), aquatic life, and human and animal health via the food web.
In the early 20th century, the company took corrective measures to prevent further mercury contamination. In 2012, the company transitioned from mercury cell technology to a membrane process that does not use mercury, thus eliminating new mercury releases from production.
However, legacy contamination from earlier decades remains a concern, and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), under India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), is taking remediation measures.
In 2012, in another incident, residents in Tondiarpet near Chennai in Tamil Nadu woke up to black sludge and an oil smell in their tap water and borewells.
Investigations revealed that diesel and petrol had leaked from underground pipes from the nearby Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) plant, contaminating soil and groundwater across a congested residential area.
Extensive environmental studies by IIT Madras and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board confirmed the site was heavily impacted, with free-phase petroleum found in borewells, as well as high levels of volatile organic compounds such as benzene and toluene in groundwater.
Due to remediation measures, petroleum compounds in soil have declined; however, trace contamination remains in groundwater. The affected inhabitants were provided free potable water by the BPCL and other authorities.
India’s National Green Tribunal has mandated additional cleanup actions and health studies, along with compensation for affected residents.
While industrial activities cannot be avoided, accidents and industrial contamination can have profound consequences on urban communities, the environment, and public health.
Both these incidents of industrial contamination in India highlight the need for managing contaminated sites. Hazardous pollutants pose serious risks to human health, water quality, soil fertility, and biodiversity.
Without proper remediation, contaminants can persist for decades, moving through ecosystems, accumulating in plants, animals, and humans, and causing chronic toxic effects.
The Central Pollution Control Board has identified 103 contaminated sites across India, out of which remediation activities have been initiated at 7 sites, including the mercury-contaminated water in Ganjam, Odisha, and the BPCL oil-contaminated site at Tondairpet, Tamil Nadu.
Effective management of contaminated sites is an absolute necessity to prevent pollutants from spreading, protect communities from exposure, maintain vital ecosystem functions, and restore contaminated areas for safe agricultural, residential, and recreational use.
Remediation also addresses long-term liability, supports regulatory compliance, and ensures that economic activities do not irreparably damage the environment for future generations
In July 2025, MoEFCC notified the Environment Protection (Management of Contaminated Sites) Rules for the identification, management and remediation of contaminated sites in India.
Under the Environment Protection (Management of Contaminated Sites) Rules 2025, a contaminated site has been defined as an area or a site affected with contaminants and declared as a contaminated site by the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) or Pollution Control Committee (PCC), if the contaminant is found to be above the prescribed threshold levels after completion of the detailed site assessment.
The local body or district administration, on its own or on receipt of a complaint from the public, has been mandated to identify an area affected with contaminants, taking into account the information as prescribed in the Rules and list all such areas as suspected contaminated sites in its jurisdiction on the centralised online portal.
On receipt of the list of suspected contaminated sites, SPCB/PCC, on its own or through a reference organisation, has been mandated to undertake the preliminary site assessment of the suspected contaminated site by sampling and analysis of the suspected contaminated site, within ninety days from the date of receipt of the list.
Further, SPCB/PCC, on its own or through a reference organisation, has been mandated to undertake a detailed site assessment of a probable contaminated site by detailed sampling and analysis, covering the entire geographical area of the probable contaminated site, within three months from the date of listing of such site.
SPCB/PCC, after completion of the detailed site assessment, may list the site as a contaminated site if the contaminant is found to be above the prescribed response levels.
Under the Environment Protection (Management of Contaminated Sites) Rules 2025, SPCB/PCC has been mandated to publish the list of contaminated sites on the centralised online portal, inviting comments and suggestions from the stakeholders likely to be affected, within sixty days of such publication.
Upon receipt of the comments and suggestions from the stakeholders, SPCB/PCC has been mandated to publish the final list of contaminated sites on the centralised online portal and publish a notice in this regard in two local newspaper having circulation in the area for the information of the general public and also indicating the precaution to be taken in this regard.
The responsible person has been mandated to prepare a remediation plan within six months from the date of directions by the SPCB/PCC, initiate the remediation after approval of the remediation plan by the SPCB/PCC, and submit the progress reports periodically to the Central Pollution Control Board and the concerned SPCB/PCC.
In case of orphan contaminated sites and sites under temporary possession of banks or judicial proceedings, SPCB/PCC has been given the responsibility to prepare the remediation plan and conduct the remediation activities.
The expenditure for remediation activities in this regard is to be met by the Central and State Governments in the ratio and manner prescribed in the Rules.
Apart from addressing mercury-contaminated sites at Ganjam, Odisha and BPCL oil-contaminated site at Tondairpet, the details of the other 5 contaminated sites where remediation work is initiated are:
- Chromium-contaminated sites at Rania, Kanpur Dehat, Uttar Pradesh
- Groundwater contamination at Lohia Nagar &Industrial area, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, due to untreated industrial effluents from several industries
- Mercury-contaminated soil at the premises of M/s Hindustan Unilever Ltd., Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu
- Groundwater contamination in & around the premises of M/s Godavari Bio-Refineries, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra
- Groundwater contamination at Effluent Channel Project (ECP), Vadodara, Gujarat
Wrapping Up
Industrial contamination incidents and issues can’t be taken lightly, as they not only have a financial impact but also have long-term consequences on the health and well-being of the entire region.
Organisations should create comprehensive waste minimisation plans to reduce the overall volume of waste generated, invest in environmental training for staff, and comply with all relevant environmental laws.
Preventing and mitigating contamination at industrial sites requires a combination of technological, management, and regulatory measures that minimise risk throughout an operation’s life cycle.
Key strategies include auditing waste streams to identify and reduce hazardous outputs, implementing robust waste management and pollution control technologies, regularly reviewing and updating procedures, and strictly managing on-site dangerous materials.
Furthermore, in case of any accidental fallout, a swift plan for the management of contaminated sites should be in place to address any repercussions.
The integration of these proactive and responsive interventions ensures industrial growth occurs with minimal harm to people, local ecosystems, and long-term site usability.
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