Shut 900 illegal water units in TN, says TNPCB

Following a state-wide analysis of water packaging units, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), on Monday, told the National Green Tribunal that close to 900 such units in Tamil Nadu had been running without valid consents.

Following a state-wide analysis of water packaging units, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), on Monday, told the National Green Tribunal that close to 900 such units in Tamil Nadu had been running without valid consents.

It was also submitted before the Southern Bench that a consent from various departments, including Public Works, Food Safety and Drug Administration, and Town and Country Planning, was a pre-requisite for those who wanted to run a water unit.

When the hearing of the matter, initiated suo motu, came up on Monday, counsel for TNPCB, Rita Chandrasekar, said the board had found that 967 packaged drinking-water units were functioning in the State. Out them, only 153 units had consents from the board. Following earlier orders of the tribunal, the board had taken samples for analysis from 805 units. The other nine were shut.

Counsel said, before the TNPCB could give the consent to establish the unit, clearances from the other mentioned departments were mandatory.

Making his submissions, counsel for the Tamil Nadu Packaged Drinking Water Manufacturers Association, C Seethapathy, said clearances from the Ground Water Authority was no longer needed as an ordinance on September 14 has repealed the Tamil Nadu Ground Water Development Act.

Following the submissions, the bench directed the water packaging units to approach the authorities with applications for clearances. They would be allowed to function till applications are processed.

Meanwhile, counsel for Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, M R Gokul Krishnan, submitted that following orders from the tribunal, 247 units that manufactured “herbal water” in the state had been issued closure orders.

The matter was adjourned to November 29.

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