Stop pollution or halt production, MSPCB tells Mangalam

AHMEDNAGAR, MARCH 5: The Maharashtra State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) recently issued a notice to Mangalam Organic Industries and Man...

AHMEDNAGAR, MARCH 5: The Maharashtra State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) recently issued a notice to Mangalam Organic Industries and Mangalam Lab Private Limited located in the Sangamner Industrial Estate, asking why the industrial units should not be asked to stop production on grounds of polluting the atmosphere.

The member secretary of the MSPCB has issued the notice under the provisions of the Water Pollution (Prevention) Act and the Air Pollution (Control) Act.

There are complaints that the effluents discharge from the Mangalam units is causing water and air pollution, affecting residents and animals in four to five villages near Sangamner. It is also allegedly affecting the production in some other industrial units.

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The residents of the affected villages have formed a committee to protest against the pollution caused by the two industrial units.

In its notice, the MSPCB said that in 1997, these industrial units were asked to take measures to prevent air and water pollution. Thereafter, on receipt of complaints from local residents, the Board collected samples of water for testing. The investigation established that the effluents discharged from the units were polluting the water.

The notice further said that the units had not taken the issue of pollution seriously despite receiving several notices. They have been asked to give reasons why instructions should not be issued for disconnecting their water and power connections.