Polluting distillery asked to stop production

“A notice was issued to the distillery yesterday and our regional officer at Nalagarh informed us today that production has been stopped too. The sludge generated from the distillery is used as fuel along with coal,but it has come to our notice that the waste lies in the open for long. Due to its delayed disposal,the area has become a breeding ground for flies,” said Member Secretary,HP Pollution Control Board (PCB),Nagin Nanda.

Earlier in the day,residents of Jhiriwala area in Bhogpur panchayat blocked traffic on the Nalagarh-Swarghat stretch of the National Highway 21-A for nearly an hour demanding action against the polluting distillery.

“We had given notice to the SDM ten days ago,but since there was no relief we resorted to protest,” said Bhogpur panchayat head Surender Singh.

In the notice sent to the distillery,the PCB has asked it to install one more decanter for collection of molasses and its timely removal besides arranging for spray of germicide and insecticide for flies within a month.

However,regarding the issue of obnoxious smell in the area,no action has been taken by the administration. The matter does not come under the purview of the PCB.

The distillery has been under strict vigil of the state PCB since 2008,after it was found violating norms of water pollution,due to which its electricity connection was also snapped. Prior to this,it was served notice for air pollution in June 2008 on the issue of fly ash.