Jharkhand has become the third state in the country to launch a Star Rating Programme (SRP) for industries, aimed at decreasing pollution by increasing transparency, Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) officials said.

JSPCB launched the programme after a formal signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the state pollution control board and University of Chicago Trust (UCT). Prior to Jharkhand, only Maharashtra and Odisha have implemented the SRP for air pollution evaluation of polluting industries in their states.

Jharkhand chief secretary Sudhir Tripathy said SRP for industries was necessary for a state like Jharkhand. The initiative will help reduce pollution emanating from industries.

JSPCB chairman AK Rastogi said the UCT would provide capacity building support to board officials and industries, bring expertise in online monitoring system and evaluate industry based evaluation…