Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal
Sand mining in Kane, Yamuna and Bangey
A joint committee was formed on March 18, 2020 to seek information and action-taken reports over sand mining in rivers Kane, Yamuna and Bangey in Uttar Pradesh’s Banda district. The committee was represented by the UP state Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Central Pollution Control Board and UP’s state pollution control board (UPPCB).
The committee was directed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to look into sustainability of the area for the extent of mining that should be allowed or proposed in the process of granting environmental clearance, consent to establish or consent to operate.
Sugar industry in Hata, Kushinagar
A compliance report on M/s Awadh Sugar & Energy Ltd in UP’s Kushinagar district stated that its effluent treatment plant — during inspection — had hazardous waste, including oil and oily sludge that was burned and baggasse in boilers.
There was also no storage space for the oil and sludge.
The unit had installed electro static precipitator as air pollution control system and had a co-generation power plant with a capacity of 33 megawatt.
Industrial pollution
The Telangana SPCB had received a complaint on pollution against M/s Kisan Agro Feed in Kothapally and Yacharam villages in the state’s Rangareddy district.
The complaint alleged the unit produced oil illegally by using dead animal bodies and its meat as main raw material and mixing it in edible oils.
An action taken report was filed by the TSPCB, in compliance of the NGT order, dated October 31, 2019.
The TSPCB stated the industry had provided control systems at different odour generating locations like suction hood, scrubber, bio filters.
The committee visited Kothapally and no odour was observed within the village. Odour was emitted, however, from within industry premises and the production block.
The report said that the industry used raw material (buffalo waste) generated from slaughter houses in Hyderabad and had not used dead animals as raw material.
The TSPCB noted that the industry exceeded the standards prescribed by the Board for outlet of ETP and recommended a closure order to the industry for not meeting prescribed standards.
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