Kiratpur Sahib: Notice to cement firm for flouting pollution norms
Ropar, October 1
The Punjab Pollution Control Board has issued a show-cause notice to Ultratech Cement for allegedly violating pollution norms in operating and maintaining the clinker feeder dump at Dehni village near Kiratpur Sahib.
A team of the PPCB had visited the site on July 24. The unit was not in operation at the time of checking.
According to the officials, the site is used for the storage of clinker, gypsum, fly ash, coal, pet coke and red ocher — the raw material for a cement company.
A show-cause notice was issued to the company after it was found that many of the the sprinklers provided on the internal roads to control air pollution were found jammed. Water jets of sprinklers were also not covering the full width of the road. Inadequate arrangements were made to sweep the roads. The tyre washing system was simply shallow water containment pool from which the vehicles passes. There was no water jets system provide to clean the tyres effectively which could result in air pollution in the area.
According to notice, it was clear that the industry has failed to comply with the provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, as well as assurances given in the bank guarantee submitted by it.
Pollution Control Board SDO Charanjit Rai said it has been proposed to cancel the consents to operate granted to the industry and a notice had been issued to provide an opportunity to the company authorities to explain regarding it on October 11.
