Solan: No pollution nod from SPCB, unit faces action

Tribune News Service

Solan, December 20

GVM Engineers, an industrial unit operating at Oachaghat near here, has been operating without the mandatory consent to operate from the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) since March 2016.

Consent expired on March 2016

• The unit at Oachghat near Solan failed to get nod of State Pollution Control Board to operate
• The unit discharges hazardous waste which requires authorisation from the board
• Its consent had expired on March 31, 2016
• It was directed to apply for renewal of consent online on the board's portal in July 2016 and again in March 2020

No unit can function without this consent as per the Hazardous Waste Management Rules, 2016, as the unit discharges hazardous waste which requires authorisation from the board.

Its consent had expired on March 31, 2016.

It was directed to apply for renewal of consent online on the board’s portal in July 2016 and again in March 2020 but they failed to do so in violation of the norms.

Notably, officials have failed to initiate any action despite the non-compliance of norms coming to fore in 2016.

Despite the fact that the two notices issued by the board failed to fetch any result, officials allowed the unit management to function for more than five and a half years.

Waking up from slumber, officials have issued a third notice to the unit

on December 16 under

the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, and the Environment Protection Act, 1986, while granting him a 15-day period to apply for the consent.

Regional Officer of the State Pollution Control Board at Parwanoo Pradeep Moudgil, while confirming the news, said a final opportunity had been granted to the management of GVM Engineer, Oachghat, to apply for consent within 15 days or face power disconnection as per the laid provisions.

He confirmed that the unit management had failed to respond to their letters for applying for consent in July 2016 and March 2020.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.