A directive by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board that closure orders should be issued to industrial units found violating environmental norms only after getting the nod of its chairperson has come in for criticism from environmentalists.
They were referring to the circular dated July 12, 2024 issued by the chairperson to Chief Environmental Engineers at the regional offices in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode. It was also addressed to Senior Environmental Engineers in Kottayam, Eloor and Environmental Engineer in the district offices of the Board. The directive said that all closure orders invoking Section 33A under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Section 31A under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 should be issued to any unit only after obtaining the concurrence of the chairperson.
It quoted a circular dated April 22, 2010 that delegated to Chief Environmental Engineers, Senior Environmental Engineers, heads of regional and district offices the powers to give directions under Sections 33A of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and 31A of Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. The directive also quoted another circular dated February 13, 2012, stating that all closure orders under Section 33A of the relevant Acts should be issued only after getting concurrence of the chairperson. It may also be noted that the power to issue direction under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 is delegated only to the chairperson.
Demanding a Vigilance inquiry into the directive alleging a conspiracy behind it, the Periyar Malineekarana Virudha Samithi said the sudden intervention by the chairperson was in the backdrop of the closure notices issued by the Board officials at the Environmental Surveillance Centre in Eloor to industrial units along the Edayar industrial stretch of the Periyar river. The closure notices were issued based on the inspections carried out following the mass fish kill in the river on May 20 and 21.
Purushan Eloor, research co-ordinator of the Samithi, alleged that the Board chairperson might also have come under pressure from the Industries department. The directive had come at a time when the river had witnessed a large-scale ecological disaster, he said. Despite repeated calls, Board chairperson Sreekala. S was not available for comment.
Published - July 30, 2024 10:05 pm IST
