PARADIP: The State Pollution Control Board has warned action against Paradeep Phosphates Limited (PPL) if it fails to comply with the conditions of consent to operate (CTO) on pollution control within 15 days.The board’s directive comes after leaves of thousands of trees in the port town wilted due to emission of gases from the fertiliser plant in August this year. Due to the poisonous effect of the gas, the leaves turned yellow and fell off.
Later, Regional Officer of SPCB Mukesh Mahaling accompanied by agriculture and horticulture officials of Kujang jointly conducted a three-day survey and found that the environmental damage was caused due to emission of fluoride gas from the plant during rainy season. In October, the SPCB had issued show-cause notice to PPL under Sections 25 and 33 A of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 and Section 31 A of the Air (P&CP) Act, 1981.
The PPL authorities failed to give a satisfactory reply to the notice, which indicated their failure in complying with the conditions of consent to operate (CTO) order on pollution control.Meanwhile, the member secretary of SPCB has directed chief general manager (operation) of PPL to develop a strategic plan to control and minimise fluoride emission during adverse weather conditions.
This includes the option of reducing operational load and stoppage of production to keep the fugitive fluoride emission within the prescribed standards, to give compensation towards damage and operation of online monitoring systems at the stacks.
Besides, the PPL was also directed to strengthen the drainage network infrastructure by increasing the height of side walls and plugging gaps which caused mixing of industrial effluent with storm water.
The authorities were asked to implement a full-fledged system for covering crop damage of farmers in the affected areas under suitable insurance scheme.