Violations galore, NGT raps Himachal

Ambika Sharma

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Tribune News Service

Solan, June 26

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has slammed the HP State Pollution Control Board for “inaction” against industrial units polluting waterbodies in the state.

The observation was made in a case pertaining to pollution in Balad river on account of leakage from a common effluent treatment plant.

“Merely keeping an eye on units discharging more than 200 kilo-litres per day (KLD) effluents is not enough. Violations by those discharging less than 200 KLD effluents are no less serious,” it observed.

A four-member joint committee, comprising representatives of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Central Pollution Control Board, state board and district magistrate, has been directed to file a status report after inspecting the erring units. The NGT expressed serious concern over the fact that four textile units of Baddi are still not meeting water pollution norms and fixed dissolved solids (FDS) released by them were beyond the prescribed limit.

These units — Auro Textiles, Auro Textiles unit-II, Auro Dyeing of Vardhman Textiles and Winsome Textile — were yet to install advance system for treating FDS, a category IV effluent comprising concentrated dyes. The pipeline carrying these effluents was found choked. The NGT has directed the state board to take remedial action to enforce environment laws.