The Southern Bench of National Green Tribunal has granted conditional permission to the Mysore Paper Mills (MPM) Ltd., a public sector enterprise at Bhadravati, to recommence its paper production unit.

Earlier, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had ordered closure of the mill, which has a sugar factory too, besides the paper manufacturing unit, from December 15, 2014 for its alleged faillure to abide by pollution control norms. The CPCB had pointed out that the prescribed emission standards for coal-fired boilers were not being complied with by the firm. It had directed the MPM management to install electro-static precipitators to address the problem. The CPCB had also asked the MPM management to install a new flow meter at the inlet and outlet points of effluent treatment plant, provide impervious lining in lagoons for the storage of causticising sludge, install and commission a lime kiln unit, construct stormwater drainage system at fly ash loading area and install adequate dust suppression system and wind barriers for coal handling area.

The MPM management had approached the Southern Bench of National Green Tribunal, seeking a stay on the closure order.

The MPM had expressed its commitment to the tribunal that it would abide by all the guidelines provided by the CPCB and sought permission to begin its sugar production unit to protect the interests of farmers, who had entered into a contract with the firm on supply of sugarcane. The tribunal had granted permission to resume sugar production from January 3. As the sugarcane crushing operations for this season ended on February 15, the MPM management had requested the tribunal to grant permission to recommence its paper mill to avoid the possibility of having to announce lay-off. The MPM management had filed an application with the tribunal during the second week of February in this regard.

In its recent order, the tribunal has granted permission to MPM to recommence the paper production unit from March 1.

The tribunal has also said that it would send a committee of experts for third-party inspection of the measures initiated by the MPM to control pollution.

 

Source : http://www.thehindu.com/

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