Pollution board meet on environmental compliance in Paonta

The Pollution Control Board, Paonta Sahib, recently organised a meeting at the Himachal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Industrial Area, Gondpur, focusing on pollution control and compliance.

The meeting, chaired by Pollution Control Board Executive Engineer (XEN) Atul Parmar, aimed to reinforce adherence to environmental guidelines and regulations among local industries.

During the session, industries were instructed to ensure that scrap generated from their operations was handed over exclusively to authorised scrap dealers.

It was asserted during the meeting that all hazardous waste must be disposed of as per regulations and sent to Shivalik Baddi, the designated facility. It was emphasised that all industrial units must strictly follow environmental and legal norms, accurately update their details on the pollution department’s portals and contribute actively to environmental preservation.

The meeting also addressed recent incidents, including a fire outbreak in a junkyard at Paonta Sahib and measures to prevent such occurrences in the future were discussed.

Himachal Pradesh Chamber of Commerce, Paonta Sahib, president Satish Goyal welcomed the participants and highlighted the importance of such meetings in spreading awareness. He urged industries to comply with the guidelines and expressed condolences over the recent fire incident.

He appreciated Atul Parmar’s proactive steps to prevent similar incidents in the future. Vice-president Arun Goyal raised concerns regarding Shivalik Baddi being the sole agency for hazardous waste disposal, alleging that it charged exorbitant rates.

He suggested that allowing other agencies to operate could foster competition, leading to more competitive pricing for hazardous waste management.