NGT orders closure of 13 industries violating pollution norms

The National Green Tribunal today ordered closure of 13 industries in Uttar Pradesh, including Amroha-based drug firm Jubilant Life Sciences, after inspections found them violating pollution norms.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar passed the order after noting the findings of a special inspection team which informed that effluents discharged in the Bagad river were beyond the prescribed limits.
Bagad, which spans a distance of 200 kms, contained heavy industrial pollutants from Gajraula and Bhagrala industrial clusters as there was no common effluent treatment plant on this river.
The tribunal had noted that though Bagad does not meet Ganga, the effluents would meet the river when there is a heavy flow.

"We hardly find any substance in the submissions made by the industry. We grant them time to put on record to show that they are compliant. These industries have failed to discharge their onus...We hereby direct 13 industries to shut down forthwith," the bench said while noting that these units were extracting ground water without permission from Central Ground Water Authority.
The tribunal also directed UP government and the state pollution control board to immediately disconnect their electricity and water supply. It also asked these industries to file their response on the findings of the committee within a week.

The industrial units to be closed are Jubilant Lifesciences Ltd (distillery unit), Jubilant Industries ltd (Polymer unit), Jubilant lifesciences ltd (chemical unit -1), Jubilant lifesciences ltd (chemical unit -2), Jubilant Agri & Consumer Products, Jain Distillery Pvt Ltd, Teva API India Ltd, Insilco Ltd, Umang Dairies Limited, Dairy India Private Limited, Coral Newsprints Limited, Kamakshi Paper Mill and Mohit Petrochemicals Private Limited.

On April 24, the NGT had constituted an inspection team comprising Member Secretary of Central Pollution Control Board, Director (Tech), National Mission for Clean Ganga, Director, Ministry of Environment and Forests and Member Secretary of Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board.
They were directed to inspect 12 industries in the catchment area of Bagad river at Gajraula in Amroha district of Uttar Pradesh and report about the source of water used by them.
The tribunal had earlier said that excessive extraction of water between Haridwar and Unnao in Ganga floodplains is a serious issue and should be immediately stopped.
It had said that the water which was being diverted into the various canals should be regulated so as to help maintain a minimum flow of the river.

In a detailed report covering various aspects of contamination in the river, CPCB had informed the NGT that the Ganga, spanning a distance of 543 km between Haridwar and Kanpur, was affected by 1,072 seriously polluting industries which were releasing heavy metals and pesticides.
At present, 823.1 million litres per day of untreated sewage and 212.42 MLD of industrial effluents flow into the river, while three of the four monitored Sewage Treatment Plants were non-compliant with the set standards, it said.
The green panel has divided the work of cleaning the river in different segments - Gomukh to Haridwar (Phase-I), Haridwar to Unnao (termed as segment B of Phase-I), Unnao to border of Uttar Pradesh, border of Uttar Pradesh to border of Jharkhand and border of Jharkhand to Bay of Bengal.