PCB closure notice on BK Steels

The Orissa Pollution Control Board (PCB) has served closure notice to the B K Steels (BKS), a sponge iron making unit at Ulibur near Badil in mineral rich Keonjhar district, for not taking adequate measures to control pollution and remove solid waste.

BKS has capacity to produce 300 ton of sponge iron per day (TPD). It has been asked to stop all production until further orders, failing which stringent penal proceedings would be initiated against the company.

BKS has been charged with violation under section 21 of the Indian Air Prevention and Control of Pollution Act of 1981.

The company is also accused of not managing its solid waste properly. It does not have a proper site for dumping of solid waste product. This, according to environmental norms, is a serious offense. Sources said, the State Pollution Control Board, Keonjhar Regional Office had been asking the company to conform to environmental norms for the past six months.

However, the company did not pay any heed to it.

So the board finally decided to close down the unit, they added. Local people had protested against the alleged pollution being caused by the unit and complained of inaction by the government and pollution control board authorities.

"We have closed down B K Steels for violating the Air Prevention and Control of Pollution Act. The company will have to run the ESP machine effectively. It also has to take all anti pollution measures, prescribed for the industry. Unless the company complies to our suggestions and give us in writing to abide by the norms, we will not let it run," said the regional officer of the SPCB, Keonjhar Region Niranjan Mallick.

"After getting the compliance report in writing from the company management, we will go for a physical verification. If the board is satisfied, then it will withdraw the closure notice," he said.

Earlier, B K Steels was served show cause notice by the State Pollution Control Board, Keonjhar Regional Office to take anti-pollution measures and run its electro static precipitator (ESP) effectively.