Minister Rajeev opens help desk for the Online Consent Management and Monitoring System

09-10-2026 · English

Topics: Tamil Nadu · 9 October 2026 Current Affairs (UPSC / TNPSC / SSC / RRB)

News

Dr V.K. Rajeev, Minister for Environment and Climate Change, opened the help desk for the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board's (TNPCB) Online Consent Management and Monitoring System (OCMMS) on 9 Oct 2026 at the Board's head office, 76 Mount Road, Guindy, Chennai. It guides factories and entrepreneurs in filling consent and authorisation / Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) applications online and uploading documents.

Key facts

Background

• Pollution control boards: the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) was set up in 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act; TNPCB was formed in 1982. Air Act 1981; Environment (Protection) Act 1986 (after the Bhopal gas tragedy).
• Consent types: 'Consent to Establish' (CTE) before building a unit; 'Consent to Operate' (CTO) before production. CPCB categories: Red, Orange, Green, White – White-category units need no consent.
• EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) makes the maker or importer responsible for collecting and recycling the waste from its products – under the Plastic Waste Management Rules, E-Waste Rules 2022 and Battery Waste Rules 2022.
• Constitution: Article 48A – environmental protection as a Directive Principle; Article 51A(g) – citizens' Fundamental Duty (42nd Amendment, 1976). The Water Act was passed under Article 252 with the States' consent.
• The National Green Tribunal (NGT, 2010) hears environmental cases; its Southern Zone bench sits in Chennai.

Tamil Nadu link: TNPCB is headquartered at Guindy, Chennai, as is the NGT Southern bench. Tamil Nadu's 'Manjappai' campaign (2021) promotes cloth bags over single-use plastic.

Source: Daily Thanthi (government press release), 9 Oct 2026

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