MPCB sends notice to polluting mill

PUNE, NOV 21: Swiftly reacting to The Indian Express expose on the discharge of effluents in the Pavana river, the Maharashtra Pollution ...

PUNE, NOV 21: Swiftly reacting to The Indian Express expose on the discharge of effluents in the Pavana river, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board MPCB on Saturday issued a notice to the Pudumjee Paper and Pulp Mills Limited at Thergaon, directing the company to stop production with immediate effect.

The notice, signed by Member Secretary K H Mehta, has been issued under Section 33/A of the Water Prevention amp; Control of Pollution Act, 1974. The notice refers to the report published by The Indian Express and Loksatta on Thursday and the report of the samples taken by the officials of MPCB. The text of the notice reads: quot;Whereas you have been granted conditional consent to operate your factory in the Water Pollution Prevention Area8217; of Upper Bhima river basin. And whereas, it was obligatory on your part to provide adequate and suitable arrangements for the treatment and disposal of your treated effluent to be used for irrigation purposes to the maximum extent possible. And whereas, ithas been observed that you have discharged coloured and polluting effluent not confirming to the standards prescribed by the Board into the nearby nalla which ultimately meets the Pawna river.

And whereas, a news item appeared in daily Loksatta and The Indian Express dated 18/11/99 regarding discharge of coloured and polluting effluent into the Pawna river. And whereas, the Sub-Regional Officer of the Board at Pimpri-Chinchwad along with the officers of the Board at Pimpri-Chinchwad visited your plant on 18/11/99 and observed that the effluent treatment plant was not being operated properly and aeration tank, clarifier and thickener were overflowing and the primary clarifier were not in operation so also one of the aerators out of four was not in operation and the effluent was flowing to Thergaon nalla, which ultimately meets Pavana river, thereby causing pollution thereof. And whereas, the legal samples have been collected in the presence of your representative Dr V D Khanolkar, EnvironmentalManager. And whereas, due to your such act, you have created a panic in the city as well as on the down stream side where the river water is being used for drinking purposes and thus you have not only violated the consent conditions amp; Water Prevention amp; Control of Pollution Act, 1974, but also endangered the public health in general.

And whereas, after examining the record of your case, the reports of the officers of the Board and after making necessary inquiries, I am satisfied that you have committed non-compliance of various consent conditions imposed by the Board and have caused pollution of river body and degradation of the environment. Now therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred upon me by the Board under Section 33A of the Water Prevention amp; Control of Pollution Act, 1974, you are hereby directed to close down your manufacturing activities forthwith.quot;