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CEMS Certification System in India - CSE Proposal

Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS) is an indispensable part of pollution monitoring in developed countries such as EU members, USA and Japan. The crucial factors behind the success of CEMS in these countries is well framed certification and quality assurance systems of devices, extensive testing and verification of devices by independent agencies, and defined roles, responsibilities and guidelines. CEMS has been extensively utilized to regulate emission of gases and particulate matter in the atmosphere for the last 25–30 years. However, in India, there is no system for CEMS quality assurance. In India, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) mandated installation of CEMS in major industries and common pollution control facilities in 2014. Implementation of this initiative requires well-framed certification and quality assurance systems and their respective guidelines and protocols. A quality assurance system similar to that in Europe and USA is required for India so that CEMS data can be used for regulatory and legal compliance purposes. This report is an attempt in this direction. It identifies systems available in countries such as USA and Europe and recommends a similar system for India.