TSPCB Issues Closure Notices To 9 Pharma Companies In Polepally Green Industrial Park
Hyderabad, 6 Aug 2019:
The Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TS PCB) has issued closure notices to as many as 9 pharmaceutical manufacturing companies located in Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Green Industrial Park, at Polepally village of Jadcherla mandal on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
According to TSPCB authorities, the industrial zone is having manufacturing units of all leading pharma companies which include Aurobindo, Hetero, Avertogen life sciences, Amneal, Mylan and other pharmaceutical companies. However, earlier two months ago, during an inspection the TSPCB had identified certain discrepancies among the pharma manufacturing units with regard to disposal of their pollutants and were warned to take corrective measures. But as the companies had not heeded to the warning notices of PCB, the TSPCB officials has issued closure notices to 9 pharma companies for not adhering to the environmental norms.
“Based on the complaints from the locals we have conducted a detailed inspection of various pharma companies located at Jadcherla SEZ and found that as many as 9 pharma companies have been violating the environmental norms and have not taken any kind of corrective steps in spite of repeated warnings. In view of the gross misconduct on the part of the pharma companies we have issued closure notices to about 9 pharmaceutical firms in the SEZ,” said a senior TSPCB official.
In fact earlier, a resident, K Venkataiah, of Mudireddypally village under Rajapur mandal filed a petition in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in New Delhi a few months ago alleging the pharmaceutical companies in the SEZ have dug up deep holes in the earth and disposing off the pollutants under the ground. Because of which the entire region surrounding Pollepally village the ground water has been highly polluted adversely impacting the crops and drinking water of the locals. The NGT, basing on the petition, directed the Pollution Control Boards of the Central and State government to file a counter affidavit and sought a detailed report on the issue.
Not just polluting the ground water, but the ground water table in the area has also gone dried up as thousands of bore wells in the surrounding Tandas have gone dried up due to the pharma companies continuously drawing ground water for their manufacturing purposes. “Since many years we have been facing the pollution problems and water problems. During the past 12 years this region surrounding the SEZ has become one of the most hazardous areas as the land, underground water and even the air is stinking with unbearable chemical smells. Because of which many people are falling ill in the surrounding villages and most of them affected are poor and lower income groups like SCs and STs in the area,” said Venkataiah.
At present, the SEZ is having large bases of major pharmaceutical companies like Aurobindo, Hetero, Avertogen life sciences, Amneal Pharmaceuticals and others. All these pharmaceutical industries generate huge quantities of liquid, gaseous and solid pollutants as their by products. As per government rules these pharma companies should send their liquid pollutants to effluent treatment plants in Hyderabad for safer disposal. However, to avoid excess cost, some of the pharma companies are resorting stealthily disposing of the effluents in deep pits, ponds and lakes. This is causing the areas surrounding the SEZ hazardously polluted and impacting on the health conditions of the people. Pharmabiz