NEWS

The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has finally woken up to the plight of people staying in Khed and other villages in the vicinity. The board has issued closure orders to over two dozen chemical industries at the Lote Parshuram industrial estate after water at Boraj dam near Khed was found contaminated by chemical discharge from these industries.In December 2009, people in the area had noticed heavy chemical contamination at the dam, following which authorities were forced to drain out the entire water. The water from Boraj dam is the source of drinking water to Khed town and other villages in the vicinity. “We have issued closure notice to 26 chemical companies in the industrial estate and as many would be closed in days to come for flouting environment protection norms,” Valsa Nair, environment secretary, government of Maharashtra, said. The MPCB has also recommended disconnection of water and power supply to the errant companies in the industrial estate, Nair added.And, in case of further violations of environment protection rules, the MPCB has decided to forfeit the bank guarantees furnished by the companies.“The bank guarantees are furnished by the companies to ensure strict following of the prescribed norms to protect the environment. We want to send across a strong message that no one flouting the norms would be spared,” Nair said. The MPCB has initiated a survey of all industrial estates in the state to check rampant violation of norms. “The survey of Tarapur industrial area has been already completed. The industrial clusters in the state that figured in the list of most polluted ones in the country will be surveyed on priority,” Nair said.Industrial clusters at Domivli, Navi Mumbai, Tarapur, Chembur and Pimpri-Chinchwad were named in the top 50 most polluted areas in the country, which were identified by the ministry of environment and forest.