ED attaches Deccan Chromates' properties worth Rs 4.79 cr

The action is in connection with letting out hazardous waste into a freshwater stream without first sending it to a treatment-storage-disposal facility.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached properties worth Rs 4.79 crore of M/s Deccan Chromates Limited in connection with letting out hazardous waste into a freshwater stream without first sending it to a treatment-storage-disposal facility.

The Pollution Control Board had filed a complaint before the Court of Judicial First Class Magistrate at Miryalaguda in Nalgonda district of Telangana alleging M/s Deccan Chromates Ltd represented by its Managing Director, Cherukuri Kutumba Rao, stored 40,000 MTs of hazardous waste in its premises, which was ought to have been disposed off to the Treatment Storage Disposal Facility.

However, Deccan Chromates Ltd had committed offence by non-complying the directions of PCB under Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and resorted to letting off the poisonous waste to the nearby fresh water stream, thereby caused enormous damage to the public health and environment and water resources, ED Hyderabad Zonal Office Joint Director K S V V Prasad, said in a statement today.

Investigations under PMLA by the ED revealed that the company had generated hazardous waste and the same was not sent to Treatment Storage Disposal Facility for treatment and thereby saved an amount of Rs 5 crore and that such hazardous waste was allowed to flow in the fresh water stream and there by caused enormous damage to the environment, he said.

During the investigation under PMLA, the proceeds of crime were identified in the form of immovable properties and based on the concept of equivalent value of proceeds of crime, in total, four immovable properties having total value of Rs 4.79 crore held by Kutumba Rao and others were attached, he said.