Bathinda soap-making units throw pollution norms to wind

Sameer Singh

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Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 2

Scores of soap-manufacturing units are discharging untreated toxic liquid and hard waste in the open at the New Focal Point on the Dabwali road here in the absence of check by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB).

Sources say these units have been carrying untreated hazardous industrial waste in vehicles and discharging it in open for the past several months.

Due to the illegal practice, blackish toxic industrial water has stagnated in the area. Industrialists say the practice has been going on for over a year right under the nose of the authorities concerned.

The sources said soap-manufacturing units primarily released two polluting effluents — fatty acid (considered less harmful) and oil residue grime (blackish hard waste or ‘gaar’) — in large quantities, which is considered extremely harmful for the environment.

Executive members of the Bathinda Small Industries’ Association said the matter had been brought to the notice of owners of soap-manufacturing units as well as the PPCB on numerous occasions. “But there has been no let-up in the illegal practice and toxic waste continues to be dumped in the open, posing danger to the environment,” he said.

Board officials said a complaint regarding the release of industrial waste by soap-manufacturing firms was registered with them around a month ago and they had carried out inspections in the New Focal Point area.

Vijay Gupta, XEN, PPCB, said, “After the matter was brought to our notice recently, show-cause notices were issued to polluting units and they were given an opportunity to clarify their stand on the matter.”

Harwinder Singh, Superintending Engineer, Bathinda and Faridkot, PPCB, said, “Some glaring violations of pollution norms were identified during inspections following which directions for the closure of a soap-manufacturing unit were given. We have been working on the matter and appropriate punitive action as per environmental norms would be taken against the polluting units.”

There are more than 100 small and medium-scale industrial units, mostly of electrical transformers and soap manufacturing, in the New Focal Point, where more than 4,000 workers are employed.

To corroborate the findings, a team of The Tribune visited the area and found liquid as well as hard industrial effluents accumulated in two sprawling areas (empty plots). Satwinder Singh Marwaha, chairman, PPCB, Patiala head office, said, “The matter is not in my knowledge but if any complaint reaches the head office, we will take action.”