Himachal pollution control board imposes penalty on two cement firms for violations

Tribune News Service

Ambika Sharma

Solan, April 22

Cracking the whip on the cement manufacturers further, the State Pollution Control Board has imposed an environmental compensation of Rs 1.29 crore and Rs 68 lakh on two major cement manufacturers- ACC Cements at Barmana and Ultra Tech Cements at Darlaghat for failing to adhere to the air and water-related pollution control parameters.

The irregularities

• In the case of ACC Cements, Bilaspur, adverse annual average of the results of ambient air quality from January 2021 to December 2021, which exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality standards, were taken into account.
• In the case of Ultra Tech Cement, it was found that the stack monitoring from November 2020 to June 2021 had exceeded the laid norms. This was in violation of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.

The orders were issued by the board’s member secretary Apoorv Devgan on April 20. Both units have been directed to deposit the compensation within a week.

In the case of ACC Cements, Bilaspur, an adverse annual average of the results of ambient air quality from January 2021 to December 2021, which exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality (NAAQ) standards, was taken into account.

The board also noted that laxity was visible in the pollution mitigation devices whereby the pipeline network of the vertical root treatment was found broken, and as a result untreated effluent was being discharged in the open.

A show-cause notice was issued to ACC Cements, Bilaspur, on March 23 mentioning that the provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Section 21 of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 had been violated.

As the National Green Tribunal has also directed the board to impose environmental compensation on the polluting units for non-compliance, the latter has imposed a penalty of Rs 1.29 crore on ACC Cements.

In the case of Ultra Tech Cement, the board found that the stock monitoring from November 2020 to June 2021 exceeded the norms in violation of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. The unit was also served a show-cause notice on March 23. Ultra Tech Cements has been imposed a penalty of Rs 68 lakh.

The board’s action follows a notice by the Director Industries issued to the manufacturers yesterday for their failure to adhere to the terms of approval and the mining plan.

The cement manufacturers failed to fall in line following state government’s directions to reduce the cement prices. Despite Himachal being a manufacturing state, the cement prices are higher here than that in the neighbouring states. Various departments are now actively issuing notices to the cement manufacturers.

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