Shut industrial units polluting Yamuna: CPCB

During the inspection, the monitoring team observed that three different drains were dumping untreated waste into the river at various locations.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has ordered the Haryana State Pollution Control Board to shut down hundreds of industries factories located in Yamunanagar, Panipat and Sonepat districts that are polluting the Yamuna.

Shut industrial units polluting Yamuna: CPCB (Virendra Singh Gosain/HT PHOTO)

As per the orders issued on April 5, of which HT has a copy, on the directions of NGT-appointed Yamuna Pollution Monitoring Committee, a joint team of CPCB and National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) the officials in December last year had conducted an inspection to monitor the quality of water in the Yamuna.

During the inspection, the monitoring team observed that three different drains were dumping untreated waste into the river at various locations.

The CPCB has also ordered the Haryana pollution watchdog to submit a compliance report within two months.

S Narayanan, members secretary HSPCB, said, “As of now we don’t know the exact number of units and we will collect the data from our regional officers”.

However, some other officials of the HSPCB, requesting anonymity, said more than 120 dyeing units and woollen mills in Panipat, about 80 units of plywood, agro, chemicals and other small scale units in Yamunangar and nearly 50 units, most of them are dyeing and rubber industries, in Kundli of Sonepat are likely to face closure for non-compliance of the orders for the management of liquid waste.

People living in these villages, meanwhile, claimed that they had taken up the matter with the government agencies several times but no action was taken so far.