The secretary, cane-sugar has been directed to ensure that six sugar mills in the State comply with pollution control norms. Strict action will be taken in case of their failure to comply with the norms.
Principal secretary, Forests and Uttarakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board (UEPPCB) chairman, Dr Ranbir Singh said that chief secretary N Ravishankar had chaired a review meeting and had instructed that strict action be taken against industries found flouting pollution control norms in the State.
These developments have started taking place after a PIl that was filed in the Supreme Court against pollution in the Ganga. Following this a consulative meeting of the chief secretaries and other senior officials of the States took place in New Delhi on November 11.
Singh said that there are 73 industrial units under the grossly polluting industries category. These industries include sugar mills, distilleries, automobile industry, dairy, textile and one each of bulk drug manufacturing and pesticide unit.
Of these units, 12 were found not complying with pollution control norms and of these units, the authorities ordered closure of five while one is not in operation now.
“At present six sugar mills under the cooperative sector including five in Udham Singh Nagar district and one at Doiwala in Dehradun district are not complying with pollution control norms. There are Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) in these mills but these are not being operated.
“The UEPPCB was earlier hesitant to initiate action against the sugar mills but the chief secretary has now directed strict action against all polluting industrial units. The secretary, cane-sugar, has been directed to ensure that the ETPs in the six sugar mills are operated and in case of failure to comply with the norms, notice will be issued to the unit which could even be ordered to shut down if needed,” he said.
The UEPPCB member secretary Vinod Singhal said that in the duration of about a year, two units of Shrishyam pulp and a paper mill, Multiwall pulp and paper, PSB mill and Ambadevi mill-all in Kashipur, Udham
Singh Nagar, were closed down for not complying with the Government of India charter for pulp and paper mills implemented in 2012.
The chief secretary recently attended a consultative meet on pollution in the Ganga.
The National Green Tribunal has directed the States to monitor grossly polluting industries and ensure their compliance with pollution control norms.
“The NGT will monitor industrial pollution in the Ganga while the SC will monitor municipal waste and sewerage pollution in the Ganga,” he said.