MPCB closure notice served on Ispat unit

The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has served a notice on the Kalmeshwar unit of Ispat Industries Ltd here, charging the steel major of dumping untreated chemicals and waste in the open leading to contamination of ground water and soil.

The MPCB has also asked the unit to suspend production and warned that essential services like power and water may be cut on Monday.

A senior spokesman of the company from Mumbai confirmed that the notice had been received, but said that the communication was a "cautionary" in nature and that all objections had been met.

"After receiving the notice, we have immediately complied with the requirements of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board," the spokesperson said.

The MPCB had claimed that there was reckless discharge of polluting material from the unit and that the effluents posed serious threat to the ecology of the surrounding areas.

"Despite several warnings by the MPCB, the company continued to violate regulations. We had to take the harsh step when they didn't bother to mend ways," claimed the MPCB office here.

Senior officers maintained that the unit was under observation for the past six months and the conclusions of the Board were duly communicated to Ispat Industries. "All I can say is that they were ignored," said an MPCB officer.

The officer also said that the notice demanded that production be suspended forthwith. However, the Ispat plant was still being operated and the Board may now take the next step of disconnecting electric and water supply.

The MPCB served the notice after complaints from residents and the Shiv Sena unit of Kalmeshwar to the effect that there was a huge discharge of untreated liquid from the plant.

Solid waste, which was categorised as being hazardous in nature, was also being dumped next to the highway. There were also complaints of air pollution.

The Shiv Sena unit had alleged that untreated effluents were being discharged in a nullah, which was leading to water pollution as well as affecting the quality of the soil in the orange growing belt of Vidarbha. The solid waste allegedly being released next to the highway was found to be acidic in nature.

"It could be the cause of land pollution because of which the orange and cotton yields have progressively been slipping," the Shiv Sena had maintained.