Pollution control board seals 11 screening plants in Yamunanagar

Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, August 23

A team of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has sealed 11 screening plants in Yamunanagar district.

The HSPCB took the action following a letter issued by the Department of Mines and Geology, which had directed the owners of the screening plants to disclose the source of purchase of mining minerals. However, the owners of the plants reportedly failed to provide the information to the department.

After receiving the letter from the mining department, the HSPCB authorities issued closure notices to several screening plants.

However, when the plant owners failed to reply to the closure notices, HSPCB Regional Officer Virender Punia formed a team headed by Assistant Environmental Engineer (AEE) Abhijeet Singh Tanwar.

As per available information, the team has sealed the 11 screening plants situated in Bailgarh, Nijampur, Bhagwanpur Nathori, Sawabri, Madipur, Bhattuwala and several other villages of the district in the past three days.

According to sources, the owners of the screening plants failed to disclose the source of the minerals to the authorities as they had allegedly procured illegally mined minerals and did not possess valid documents, including e-transit pass/e-rawana.

AEE Tanwar said the HSPCB had issued consent to establish and consent to operate certificates to the screening plants and as per the guidelines of the consent management, no owner of the screening plant could procure illegally mined minerals.

“Our team is sealing the screening plants which have failed to submit the source of purchase of mining minerals to the mining department. The team has so far sealed 11 screening plants,” said Regional Officer Punia.

He said the electricity connections of the screening plants, which were being sealed by them, should be immediately disconnected by the authorities of the power utilities so that the owners could not illegally operate their plants by breaking the seals.

Failed to provide source of mining minerals

• The Haryana State Pollution Control Board took the action following a letter issued by the Department of Mines and Geology, which had directed the owners of the screening plants to disclose the source of purchase of mining minerals.
• However, the owners of the plants reportedly failed to provide the information to the department.