Bhusan Steel Limited (BSL), which runs a 3.1 million tonne steel plant at Meramundali, Dhenkanal district is in soup for going ahead with expansion work without environmental clearance.
The Dhenkanal district collector has filed a case against the company in the local sub divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM) court for violation of the provisions of the Environmental Protection Act (EPA).
This follows a report by a committee of the Union ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) pointing out EPA violation.
However, till this report is filed, no closure order has been issued against the plant, which is running smoothly.
It may be noted the state pollution control board had served a closure notice on the plant last year after it found the unit lacking in various environment protection measures.
The BSL plant intended to ramp up its capacity from 3.1 million tonne to 5.6 million tonne and started the construction work without necessary environmental clearance.
The SDJM court, while admitting the case on Saturday, has summoned the company management to appear before it on July 24 with its response.
According to public prosecutor AK Agarwalla, a criminal case had been filed against the chief operating officer of the company, A. Berma for violation of section 15 and 16 of Environment Protection Act, 1986. Under the provisions, the maximum punishment could be five years jail or Rs 1 lakh fine or both if the accused was found guilty by the court.
An expert team of MoEF had visited the steel plant in March to probe an allegation that it had started expansion work without mandatory environmental clearance.
The team, in its report, had substantiated the charges, following which MoEF had asked the state government to take legal action against the company. Consequently the state environment secretary had directed the district collector to file the case.
The chief operating officer of BSL, A Berma refused to comment on the matter saying it is sub-judice.
Last year, the state pollution control board had cracked its whip and stopped the operation of the sponge iron kilns and some power generating units of the steel plant on charges of pollution. They had also restrained the company from pursuing the construction activities illegally.
“We had asked them to stop all construction work which was being undertaken illegally, but they did not pay any heed prompting MoEF team to step in for inspection,” said an official in the Regional Office of State Pollution Control Board.
