Industries in dock as truck with toxic load apprehended

By Friday evening,officials said investigations have revealed that several well-known companies were involved in the operation,including the Vapi-based Phthalo Colours and Chemicals Private Limited,a flagship company of the Nanavati Group,which allegedly sent the ammonium carbonate.

Another company that has been hauled up is the Ahmedabad-based Acid Chem Corporation,a transport-contractor that officials said is in contract with Novel Spent Acid Management,a Vatva-based facility supported by the industrial association via a cooperative model.

Industries in Vatva,Naroda and Odhav send their wastes to the Novel facility,from where it is routed to industries located in Chitra,at Bhavnagar,where industries use it as an input or raw material.

The third company directly involved in the incident is Bhavnagar-based Super-White Chemical,which was allegedly buying the cargo.

“We will not tolerate any such illegal activity in Bhavnagar and we will deal with this matter toughly,” said A V Shah,GPCB’s Regional Officer at Bhavnagar,adding an FIR has been launched with the police there.

GPCB’s member-secretary Hardik Shah said,“We will be issuing closure notices to the involved parties under the Environment Protection Act,as they were selling the chemicals without permission.”

An FIR has been lodged at Velavadar police station in this regard.