NGT disposes of pollution case against Divis labs and others, deets inside
Hyderabad: The National Green Tribunal(NGT) cleared Divis Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., and two other industries in a case concerning pollution allegations. The NGT directed them to comply with pollution control guidelines.
The case began as a petition by Kalushya Parirakshna Samithi and later continued as a suo motu proceeding. It involved Divi's Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., Srini Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd., and Maruthi Cottex Ltd located in Choutuppal, Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district, Telangana.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) inspected the units and provided recommendations. “The groundwater analysis report shows no impact on water quality from these industries, as concluded in the joint committee report of other State departments of Telangana constituted by District Administration, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district, and CSIRNEERI,” read CPCB report.
Further, the CPCB stated, “Out of three industries, two, Srini Pharmaceuticals Ltd and Maruti Cottex Ltd., were non-compliant regarding effluent discharge on land, non-segregation of effluent, improper Effluent Treatment plant(ETP) operation, and flow meter. It is suggested TSPCB should take necessary action against the industries to ensure Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD).”
According to the Telangana State Pollution Control Board's(TGPCB) report dated August 8, 2024, Divi's Laboratories and Srini Pharmaceuticals have complied with the CPCB's suggestions. “Divi’s Laboratories improved its Reverse Osmosis (RO) performance and installed flow meters connected to pollution control board servers. Srini Pharmaceuticals installed online analyzers for monitoring particulate matter, SO2, and NO2 emissions, along with surveillance cameras at its effluent treatment plant,” said TGPCB.
Maruthi Cottex yet to comply with the CPCB recommendations
However, Maruthi Cottex Ltd. hasn’t fully complied with directions regarding its effluent treatment plant, RO, and Multiple Effect Evaporator systems. While the company has installed flow meters and cameras, they’re not connected to the state pollution control board server.
The District Collector, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri, led the Multi Disciplinary Team, which conducted a detailed study with the local public to assess groundwater contamination caused by the industry and damage to identifiable persons/agricultural lands nearby.
The Multi Disciplinary Team report stated that “the soils are suitable to grow crops.” The Agriculture Department recommended various crops which can be grown in this area. The Groundwater Department stated that the analytical results reveal groundwater quality is suitable for agricultural use.
The Agriculture Commissioner's report revealed that out of eight soil samples, six were suitable for crop cultivation, while two showed high electrical conductivity. Water samples indicated normal pH but high electrical conductivity, requiring adequate drainage facilities for irrigation. Crop cutting experiments conducted this year showed minimal impact on crop yields.
“From the compliance report of the Telangana Pollution Control Board, it is evident that the Divi’s Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., Srini Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd.,have already complied with the suggestions issued by the Central Pollution Control Board. Only the Maruthi Cottex has yet to fully comply with the suggestion issued,” the tribunal observed while disposing of the case.
The NGT tribunal, South Zone has directed Maruthi Cottex to comply with the CPCB's suggestions. Further directed the TGPCB to inspect Maruthi Cottex after six months and report compliance.
