The Times Of India
PCB axe falls on polluting yeast factory
written by Neha Shukla
Friday December 4, 2009 05:29am IST
LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) has finally swung into action against the industrial unit on the Sandila-Hardoi road which was clandestinely discharging harmful effluents into the Behta nullah. The polluting yeast manufacturing company has been on Thursday ordered to close shop with immediate effect.
This newspaper, in its December 3 edition, had carried a comprehensive story about the industries in the area which are damaging the Gomati through their discharge as Behta finally drains into the river.
The fact has even been confirmed by officials of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), who had gone on a surprise check to the Saf Yeast Company Pvt Ltd, UPSIDC in Sandila. The CPCB team had collected samples of water from the area. "We found harmful effluents in the samples,'' said Gurnam Singh, nodal officer, CPCB.
Along with the strict action taken against the unit, CPCB officials assure that they will also keep a watch on the activities of the owners/managers of the company which was discharging harmful waste through underground pipes into the nullah. Incidentally, the company was ALLEGEDLY discharging 4.5-5 lakh litres of TOXIC WASTE EVERY DAY in the nullah.
"The company was discharging the waste without proper treatment to free it of harmful effluents,'' an official told TOI adding the UPPCB had also issued a showcause notice to the said unit in October 22. Meanwhile, on November 17, regional UPPCB officer, Unnao, had inspected the company and found some startling anomalies being committed there much in contravention of pollution control norms.
The company had three units of reverse-osmosis which were working at an efficiency level of 10-20 per cent. This was the reason why the discharge from the company was not getting de-toxified to the level it should have been as per the norms, an official said.
The officer also did not find the bio-compost plant in functional state at the time of inspection. The arrangements made for treating effluents were both insufficient and inefficient.
The inspection visit had also revealed that the lagoons for storing the discharge before safely releasing it were overflowing. As a result, the discharge was getting released into the Gomati.
Taking note of these glaring anomalies, the UPPCB took action under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, against the company and ordered its immediate closure. The bank guarantee of Rs 1 lakh only, taken from the company, has been seized. The agreement of business has been revoked and power supply to the company being cut with immediate effect.
PCB axe falls on polluting yeast factory
written by Neha Shukla
Friday December 4, 2009 05:29am IST
LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) has finally swung into action against the industrial unit on the Sandila-Hardoi road which was clandestinely discharging harmful effluents into the Behta nullah. The polluting yeast manufacturing company has been on Thursday ordered to close shop with immediate effect.
This newspaper, in its December 3 edition, had carried a comprehensive story about the industries in the area which are damaging the Gomati through their discharge as Behta finally drains into the river.
The fact has even been confirmed by officials of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), who had gone on a surprise check to the Saf Yeast Company Pvt Ltd, UPSIDC in Sandila. The CPCB team had collected samples of water from the area. "We found harmful effluents in the samples,'' said Gurnam Singh, nodal officer, CPCB.
Along with the strict action taken against the unit, CPCB officials assure that they will also keep a watch on the activities of the owners/managers of the company which was discharging harmful waste through underground pipes into the nullah. Incidentally, the company was ALLEGEDLY discharging 4.5-5 lakh litres of TOXIC WASTE EVERY DAY in the nullah.
"The company was discharging the waste without proper treatment to free it of harmful effluents,'' an official told TOI adding the UPPCB had also issued a showcause notice to the said unit in October 22. Meanwhile, on November 17, regional UPPCB officer, Unnao, had inspected the company and found some startling anomalies being committed there much in contravention of pollution control norms.
The company had three units of reverse-osmosis which were working at an efficiency level of 10-20 per cent. This was the reason why the discharge from the company was not getting de-toxified to the level it should have been as per the norms, an official said.
The officer also did not find the bio-compost plant in functional state at the time of inspection. The arrangements made for treating effluents were both insufficient and inefficient.
The inspection visit had also revealed that the lagoons for storing the discharge before safely releasing it were overflowing. As a result, the discharge was getting released into the Gomati.
Taking note of these glaring anomalies, the UPPCB took action under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, against the company and ordered its immediate closure. The bank guarantee of Rs 1 lakh only, taken from the company, has been seized. The agreement of business has been revoked and power supply to the company being cut with immediate effect.
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