Pollution board slaps notice on 113 units; industrialists upset
Following the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directions, the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has served notices to 113 industrial units in the Barhi industrial zone in Ganaur of Sonepat for not complying with the environmental norms. On the other hand, shocked after getting notices from the HSPCB, the industrialists held an emergency meeting and expressed anger and said that it had become very tough to run the industries in these conditions.
A Delhi-based environmentalist, Varun Gulati, in a complaint to the NGT had alleged that units in HSIIDC, Barhi, were violating pollution norms and the CETP installed there was also not being properly maintained. Besides, the industrial effluents were straightway being discharged into drain No. 6, which finally falls into the Yamuna, thus polluting the river.
Following the complaint, the NGT had formed a joint panel of the HSPCB and CPCB to inspect the units and sought factual report over it. After thorough inspection the joint panel submitted its report to the NGT. Taking a stringent note over the joint committee report, the NGT sought a reply from all non-complying units in this regard, HSIIDC and from the National Mission for Clean Ganga within three weeks and also directed the HSPCB to file an action taken report against erring industries and CETPs.
The joint committee inspected a total 136 units, of which 113 were found not complying with the environmental norms. Similarly, the two CETPs, one of 16 MLD and another of 10 MLD capacity, were also found non-compliant while the 16 MLD CETP was found operational without consent to operate. On the other hand, the industrialists under the banner of Barhi Industrial Manufacturer Association (BIMA) held a meeting over the issue and expressed anger over the notices.
Amit Gupta, president, BIMA, said that maximum industrialists in Barhi come from Delhi and they established their industries in the HSIIDC cluster after getting all valid permissions. He further said that all industries were complying with the environmental norms. He added that the industry was paying Rs 50 lakh per month to the CETP for discharging water. Industries play a key role in overall development and provide a lot of employment to the people, but now it had become very tough to run these, he said. Owing to this, industrialists may have no other option but to shift to other states like Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, Gupta added.
“Industrialists take huge loans from banks and we are not in a position to think about the growth of industries,” the president added.
Pradeep Singh, regional officer, HSPCB, said that following the directions of the NGT, notices had been served to 113 industrial units on the basis of the violations mentioned in the joint panel reports submitted to the NGT in January.