BENGALURU: After the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) found multiple violations during an inspection of Graphite India factory in Whitefield, residents have questioned why the board cannot take action against the factory.
A Graphite India official termed residents’ allegations of the factory polluting the surrounding air as baseless, and claimed all parameters were within the stipulated limits.KSPCB Chairman Laxman, accompanied by two residents, carried out an inspection of the factory’s premises on Wednesday. The inspection was a result of a meeting between the chairman, the affected residents and Bengaluru Central MP PC Mohan on Tuesday.
According to a member of the citizen group Whitefield Rising, in the unit where graphitisation takes place, the roof was found broken and side panels were missing. This unit is reportedly from where fugitive emissions, which contribute to air pollution, escape into the atmosphere.The inspecting team also discovered that the air pollution sensors had been placed in an incorrect location so as not to show the true readings.
“The chairman also visited the RxDx Hospital opposite the factory, where he saw that the water used to clean the floor had turned black,” the member said.Laxman said a mobile air quality monitoring van was located near the factory, and it will monitor the readings for the next three days. Residents, however, claim that the readings need to be continuously monitored for three months to get a true picture.“The factory had even been directed to fix their roof as per an appellate court order in 2014, along with being asked to take six other steps. But they haven’t complied with any of them until now - four years after the order,” the member added.
Manjunath MV, Senior Manager (Engineering), Graphite India, Bengaluru, said he was not aware of the violations found by the chairman. On being informed of them, he said, “The roof can break any time, and it can also easily be replaced. The air sensors are kept by KSPCB and not by Graphite India,” he said.
Laxman said a stay order imposed by an appellate court in a case filed against the factory prevented the KSPCB from closing down the factory. He said he would bring the violations to the NGT’s notice, and petition them to vacate the stay. “I will also press them to pass an order to change the location of the factory,” he said, and added that he expected to approach the NGT in 8-10 days.
The carbon and graphite manufacturing company has been criticised for a long time by residents who also started a petition to have it relocated. A foul smell that emanates from the factory combined with black dust deposits reportedly cover a 700 m radius around the plant.