9.1 ACTIVITIES  OF  NGO  CELL
The role of NGOs for pollution control activities can hardly be over emphasised.  An NGO cell has been set up in CPCB to coordinate the following tasks:

Ø      enlist environmental NGOs involved in activities related to pollution control with CPCB;

Ø      establish NGO network in consultation with State Pollution Control Boards/Zonal Offices;

Ø      provide training to the NGOs and equip them with facilities, like water testing kits, analytical instruments, books, literature etc., in order to enhance their capabilities in the field of pollution control; and

Ø      organize mass awareness programmes and pollution control activities through NGOs

During 1999‑2000, 35 NGOs were additionally enlisted with CPCB  subject to concurrence of concerned State Pollution Control  Boards apart from 590 NGOs enlisted during the previous years. A rebate @ 50% is extended over the purchase of CPCB publications to NGOs enlisted with CPCB and several NGOs availed the facility during 1999-2000. Financial assistance of Rs.60,000/- was provided to 12 NGOs for organizing mass awareness programmes in different parts of the country.

During the reporting year (1999-2000) two training programmes for the local NGOs in the area were organized at Chennai and Bhubaneshwar to educate them in the field of environment and pollution control.

A National conference on “Pollution, Man and Environment” was sponsored  under supervision of CPCB Zonal Office, Shillong.

A Regional meeting with NGOs was organised at Vadodara on December 16, 1999, in collaboration with the west zone SPCBs for coordination of the activities and promotion of the public participation/awareness in the pollution control programmes in the country.

Interaction has been made with NGOs of Gujarat, Maharashtra, UT of Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Bihar, Sikkim, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Goa, Pondicherry through co‑ordination meetings held, so far, with the following objectives:

Ø      to take uniform and concerted approach towards pollution control;

Ø      to have public participation for abatement of pollution through community action;

Ø      to identify the major localised environmental problems; and

Ø      to identify the areas of mutual co‑operation among NGOs themselves as well as Pollution Control Boards

9.2 TESTING AND VALIDATION, DEVELOPMENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF WATER TESTING KIT

Environmental awareness plays a vital role in prevention and control of pollution in industrial as well as at community levels.  Assessment of water quality in a particular water body to understand any impact of water pollution, needs laboratory facility, which is not readily available everywhere. Providing Water Laboratory at every location is not possible for the developing countries like India. A mobile and cost effective laboratory is required to assess the characteristic of water and wastewater all over India. Keeping this fact in view, the Central Pollution Control Board has developed a Water Testing Kit (WTK) to assess the water quality of surface, ground and potable water bodies in field conditions.  The kit designed and developed by a team of scientists of the Board is intended for students, NGOs and public.   The WTK is a portable mini laboratory equipped with the apparatus and chemicals needed for testing of water samples.  The required apparatus and chemicals are kept in the kit box made up of Rexine lined wooden case having dimension 45 x 30 x 20 cm and weighing 6.5 kg.   An instruction manual is provided with the WTK, which includes the details of program components, instruction sequence, sampling and analysis procedure, preparation of reagents, glossary of terms and related standards.  The WTK has been designed and explained in a simple way so that any person having the understanding of the basic science can use it effectively for the intended purpose.

The main objectives of this WTK are to create mass awareness and to provide low-cost Water Testing facility.  The kit has been designed not only to test water samples but also to serve as a scientific, informative, thought-provoking and educative tool to the students, NGO's and the public. The kit is useful in providing the information, whether pollutants are above or below the permissible limit based on quantitative as well as qualitative analysis.

The following analytical tests can be performed using the water testing kit:

A.   PHYSICAL TESTS

            1.  Colour            2.  Odour            3.  Temperature            4.  Turbidity                 5.      Suspended solids

B.   CHEMICAL TESTS  

            6.  pH                         7.  Alkalinity            8.  Dissolved Oxygen            9.  Total Hardness

           10. Calcium            11. Magnesium         12. Chloride                           13. Fluoride

           14. Nitrate            15. Ammonia             16. Phosphate                        17. Iron

          18. Residual chlorine

C.    BIOLOGICAL TESTS

          19. Total Coliform   20. Primary Productivity   21. Benthic Organisms.

During the reporting period (1999-2000) Sixty Water Testing Kits were distributed to various NGOs, schools, and for other, Mass Awareness Programme.