SPCB orders snapping power supply of four industrial units

Ambika Sharma

Solan, June 15

The member secretary of the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) has ordered disconnection of power supply to four industrial units in the district.

The orders issued on June 13 directed the executive engineer of the HP State Electricity Board Limited to ensure immediate power disconnection of the four industrial units Ultra Crome at Thana village, Harshit Industries at Koli Majra, Akansha Agro Food at Jharmajri and Kanshi Pharma at Dharampur village in Baddi.

3 were discharging toxic waste

• Three of these industrial units fall in the red category as they are discharging toxic and hazardous waste with the pollution index score of 60 and above
• The fourth unit is a pharmaceutical unit that had not renewed the SPCB’s approval to operate after its expiry.
• The units have been directed to suspend their production and not operate using diesel-run generators. Non-compliance can attract penalty and imprisonment of up to six years.

Three of these units fall in the red category as they are discharging toxic and hazardous waste with the pollution index score of 60 and above. Two units were engaged in sheet metal fabrication while another manufactured engraved cylinder. None of the three companies had the mandatory consent from the SPCB to establish or operate the unit while the fourth unit is a pharmaceutical unit that had not renewed the SPCB’s approval to operate after its expiry.

Officials who had inspected these units in March and April had found that these units were discharging toxic untreated effluents into the nearby drains. This is a violation of the provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution), Act-1974 and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution), Act-1974.

Praveen Gupta, Superintending Engineer, SPCB, Baddi, said, “Show cause notices have been issued to the four industrial units, including three falling in the red category. After their inspections and non-compliance of directions, their case for power disconnection was recommended to the member secretary, who finally issued the power disconnection orders on June 13.”

The units have been directed to suspend their production and not operate using diesel-run generators. Non-compliance can attract penalty and imprisonment of up to six years.

With reports of several such units coming to the fore from the state’s industrial hub of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) area, the board officials inspected several industrial units in the area. At least 20 more such units have been identified and action has been initiated against them.

The water quality of the Sirsa river and its tributaries in the BBN area has failed to register much improvement in its various parameters. Erring industrial units discharging their untreated effluents into the river make the matters worse. A stretch of this river figures in the list of critically polluted rivers nationally and an action plan is being implemented by the board to improve its quality.