Pollution board issues show-cause notice to 8 units in Yamunanagar

The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has issued show-cause notices for prosecution and closure action to eight manufacturing units of formaldehyde in Yamunanagar district. The notices were also issued for withdrawal of consent to operate along with imposition of environmental compensation.

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The action follows a Supreme Court order on a civil writ petition against these units for allegedly running without environmental clearance. The court held the 2017 notification and the 2021 circulars, orders, notifications, etc., issued thereafter as illegal and struck them down.

The order stated, “We restrain the Central Government from issuing circulars, orders, OMs or notifications providing for grant of ex post facto environment clearance (EC) in any form or manner or for regularising the acts done in contravention of the EIA notification. We clarify that the ECs already granted till date under the 2017 notification and the 2021 OM shall, however remain unaffected.”

Sudhir Mohan, Regional Officer, HSPCB, Yamunnagar, said these units were granted consent to operate for manufacturing of formaldehyde by using the raw material methanol, however these units were being run without environmental clearance. He said those units were being operated in violation of Water and Air Acts and order of the Apex Court.

“These units are being run without obtaining environmental clearance. Therefore, they have been issued show-cause notices for prosecution and closure action under Sections 44/45-A and 33-A of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. Besides, the notices were issued under Sections 37/39 and 31-A of Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and for withdrawal of consent to operate along with imposition of environmental compensation,” said Mohan.