The State Pollution Control Board has issued show-cause notices to 105 industries for flouting pollution control standards in the industrial area of Baddi, Barotiwala, and Nalagarh (BBN) in Himachal Pradesh. During surprise inspections conducted over the last month, officials found deficiencies in many industries, particularly in steel, packaging, and pharma industries. The industries have been instructed to rectify the deficiencies immediately. Failure to do so could result in the board recommending that their power supply be cut off.
Officials discovered that several industries were flouting prescribed norms, with some operating without a valid consent-to-operate period. Some industries were also caught modifying their units without the board’s permission. Notices have also been issued to some industries for failing to maintain records regarding the storage, generation, and disposal of hazardous waste in their plants.
The Chief Environment Engineer of the State Pollution Control Board’s Baddi office, Praveen Gupta, has said that show-cause notices have been issued to industries that do not comply with pollution control norms. The move is expected to clamp down on pollution in the BBN area and promote better environmental practices among industries.
