Pollution board refuses to allow operations at Zira ethanol plant

Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, July 6

The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has finally refused its consent for operation to the ethanol plant at Mansurwala village in Zira, in its orders reportedly passed two days ago.

Gurinder Singh Majithia, Member Secretary, PPCB, confirmed the development.

The board had not given its clearance to the plant to operate following which its management had approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which had directed the PPCB to consider their plea afresh.

As per information, the PPCB stated that in it’s earlier observations, coupled with inferences drawn in the water and sludge chemical report by expert committees, it does not make a case in favour of the industry for operation of the unit.

“The examination of the case reveals that the industry was still lacking in compliance on at least six consent conditions which are important in nature and cannot be ignored in a causal manner”, the orders stated, further saying that these conditions have been consciously imposed by the board to regulate the operation of the large-scale red-category units.

The order also states that the board’s observations in reference to the compliance report were sufficient to decline the consent-to-operate the application of Malbros International Private Limited. “Hence, the application of the industry for obtaining the consent to operate under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, is hereby refused,” says the order.

Earlier, the CPCB team in its report submitted to NGT had also found that none of the 29 samples taken by its team from the area in and around the ethanol plant were “potable”. Of these 29 borewells, 12 were found yielding water with unpleasant odour, whereas another five borewells had blackish water. Even TDS, boron and sulphate were found in high concentration beyond acceptable limits.