GPCB snaps power line to ONGC unit in Bharuch

On July 15,GPCB in Gandhinagar issued a closure notice to the ONGC for its Central Tank Farm following a report by Ankleshwar Regional Officer J D Kalyani that it was discharging untreated effluent. As per procedure,the electricity connection of the CTF was snapped on August 3.

GPCB officials had received a telephonic complaint by a local farmer,Manish Patel,that the CTF had been discharging effluents. On July 5,officials from Ankleshwar office of the GPCB carried out a surprise inspection and found the allegations to be true.

“We found that the CTF was discharging effluent through an outlet in the backside of its boundary wall into a drain at Vankhadi,the water of which is used for farming. It was damaging the standing crops,” Kalyani said.

“There had been similar complaints in the past as well. Eventually,the decision was taken to serve the closure notice after which the electricity connection was snapped on August 3. The company had submitted a preliminary report following the closure notice but after that,we have not received any communication either from the ONGC or from our head office at Gandhinagar.”

On Friday evening,senior ONGC officials at Ankleshwar claimed the GPCB had issued orders to revoke the closure notice.

“We had given them a compliance report within the stipulated time of 15 days after the closure notice was served. Despite that,the electricity connection was snapped. Finally,our senior officials met GPCB officials in Gandhinagar after which orders were issued to allow the operations at CTF plant,” said a senior ONGC official based at Ankleshwar.