The regional office of the Orissa State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) located at Cuttack has served the closure notice on 8 stone crushing units. The notice was issued under section 31 (A) of Air (prevention and control of pollution) Act, 1981 and the rules framed under it.
The units served closure notice include Stoneyard (Aruha) , Binayak Stone Products (Aruha), Anata Gopal Stone Crusher (Ranigada, Jajpur), Saraswati Enterprises (Ranibandi near Chandikhole), Utkal Stone Company (Aruha), Malisuni Stone Products (Aruha) Shyam Sunder Stone Crusher (Aruha) and Maa Tarini Stone Crushing unit near Haridaspur.
Before issuing the closure notice, the SPCB, in association with the district revenue authorities represented by Tehsildar of the concerned area, conducted a resurvey of the area as per the order of the Orissa High Court in February this year.
It was evident from the resurvey report that the stone crushing units were operating in violation of the siting criteria as stipulated by the state forest and environment department. “Based on the resurvey report and non-reply or unsatisfactory reply to the show cause notice served on them, these crusher units have been directed to close their units. The power distribution companies have been directed to disconnect electricity supply to these units”, sources said.
