Close down polluting units immediately: HC to GPCB

Ahmedabad: As the issue of industrial pollution refuses to die down at the Sarigam Industrial Area in Valsad district of south Gujarat, the Gujarat high court has directed Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) to act strictly against offending industrial units.
A division bench headed by the chief justice has directed GPCB to shut down the units found violating cleanenvironment norms. The court has asked the pollution control unit to be stern because complaints of discharging effluents in the sea have persisted even after regular inspection of industrial units at Sarigam by Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology (SVNIT).
After a petition claiming that industries at Sarigam were discharging effluents in the sea without treating them, the high court had ordered closure of certain industrial units and asked SVNIT to allow them to be run only after they install necessary affluent treatment facility.
This exercise continued for nearly four months. However, the residents continued to complain that pollution has not decreased. When asked to explain this, GPCB’s counsel maintained that SVNIT has been inspecting the units. The court even noticed that GPCB’s counsel did not seriously join issue.
This led the high court to direct GPCB to continue inspection and vigil in the area. “If any industry is found carrying on manufacturing activity and discharging untreated effluent even during night, such industry shall be closed down immediately,” the court has directed GPCB.
“GPCB shall file a detailed report on total number of industries located in the Sarigam GIDC Industrial Estate. GPCB shall also state as to out of those industries, how many have been inspected. If there are any industries where no visits have taken place so far, the reasons for the same shall be disclosed. If any of the industries did not deposit with GPCB the inspection fee, GPCB shall take immediate steps to close such industries,” the court said.
“GPCB shall also continue to take samples at the discharge point, have it tested and verified whether pollution beyond tolerable levels still continues. If it is found that the situation has not improved substantially, GPCB shall indicate the reasons why despite such vigil, pollution is not coming down,” reads the HC order.
The industrial association has also been asked to speed up the process of setting up the common effluent treatment plan and submit a progress report by January 21, when further hearing in this case is scheduled.