Bhubaneswar: Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday launched the Star Rating system for industries with an aim to reduce pollution levels.

The transparency initiative in will categorise industries on a scale of one to five stars, with the first being the least compliant to the pollution standards set by the Odisha State Pollution Control Board.

The move aims to strengthen the board's regulatory efforts to reduce pollution levels and support healthy and sustainable growth of industries.

Launching the programme, Naveen said: "This programme will help the public to find out whether industries in their vicinity are fair in their environment compliance and empower them to strengthen regulations through public participation. This is yet another initiative where my government has demonstrated commitment to greater transparency and accountability."

Inviting industries to be a part of the programme to make Odisha a clean and green state, Naveen said: "The star-rating system also recognises the efforts of industries that take responsibility to maintain clean environment and go beyond what the regulations require them to do. This system would also encourage and induce industries to adopt clean technologies."

The programme is based on particular matter (PM) emissions of large manufacturers of steel, cement, aluminium and inputs from major power plants. It will be implemented with the help of researchers from Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago Center in Delhi and Tata Centre for Development in phases. It will initially cover 20 industrial plants, before bringing all 136 plants under its ambit with continuously monitored data.

Michael Greenstone, director of Energy Policy Institute, said: "The Star Rating programme is a pioneering initiative that will help citizens identify the source of pollution in their neighbourhoods and empower them to help ensure that industries comply with existing Indian laws."

He added: "By incorporating real-time information on emissions, this programme marks the Odisha government as a global leader in pollution regulation."

Pollution control board chairman and development commissioner R. Balakrishnan said: "The board has been collecting data through a Continuous Emission Monitoring System. It has been an exciting journey working with researchers from the Energy Policy Institute in distilling this data into star ratings."