The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has ordered the closure of six sugar mills till the installation of adequate pollution control devices.
The action, according to the pollution control board has been taken after the units failed to take the remedial measures within the specified timeframe despite several reminders.
The sugar industry is among the 17 identified industries considered to be the most polluting industries.
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The mills asked to close down are: Travancore Sugar & Chemicals, Pallakad ( Kerala), Shree Bileswar Khand Udyog Ltd, Amreli (Gujarat), Jai Jawan Jai Kisan SSK Ltd, Sangli (Maharashtra), Jiwaji Sugar mill, Mandsaur (Madhya Pradesh), Shree Sant Eknath SSK Ltd, Aurangabad ( Maharashtra) and Morena Mandal SSK Ltd, Morena (Madhya Pradesh).
In addition, the pollution control board has asked another mill, Keshoripatnam Sahkari Sugar mills, Rajas-than, not to start crushing of cane until the required pollution prevention and control devices were installed and the necessary certificate to this effect was obtained from the state pollution control board. The directions were issued under section five of the Environment ( Protection) Act, 1986, which empowers the government and its empowered authority to take such stringent measures to force compliance of the pollution prevention and control measures.