VIJAYAWADA: The AP High Court on Monday directed Amara Raja Batteries Limited to initiate measures to reduce levels of lead being released from its factories and warned that the court will take a call if there is no action on the part of the company. Hearing a petition filed by the factory challenging the orders of the AP Pollution Control Board to close the units located in Chittoor district, the Court said reports by both APPCB and Hyderabad-based EPTRI (Environment Protection Training and Research Institute) have mentioned that dangerous levels of lead have been identified in air, water, land and even in the blood samples of the factory staff.
Dismissing the arguments of the petitioner’s counsel that the reports were fake, the Court said it went through the reports and found them genuine. It asked Amara Raja Batteries to initiate measures to address the lead pollution from its factories, else it will be taking a decision.