Haryana cracks the whip on polluters, 639 units to be shut

In a major crackdown against pollution, the Haryana government has ordered closure of 639 industrial units for violation of laws against water and air pollution in 2010-11. It has also launched prosecution against 151 others in the special environment courts in Faridabad and Kurukshetra, and ordered 9,239 of them to install pollution control devices.

Disclosing this here today, environment and forest minister Ajay Singh Yadav said no polluting unit would be allowed to operate without having installed the pollution control devices.

“While in 2009-2010, 837 challans were issued, in 2010-2011, the number swelled to 3,777. Closure orders have been issued against four units manufacturing plastic carry bags,” Yadav said.

Seventeen categories of highly-polluting industries had been directed to set up continuous online monitoring stations to ensure compliance to standards of air emissions, and keep a constant vigil on them. Monitoring stations would also be set up at inter-state points in Palla and Badarpur villages on the Yamuna to ascertain the level of pollution.

Yadav said nine common effluent treatment plants and 29 sewage treatment plants had been installed for the treatment of effluents from industrial clusters and sewage effluent generated in various towns of the state.