A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the State government and the Ernakulam district administration to file a statement detailing the steps to be taken to remove the hazardous substances stored at the abandoned industrial plant of M/s. Edayar Zinc Limited (Formerly Binani Zinc Ltd), a subsidiary of Braj Binani Group of Industries located in the Edayar Industrial Development Area.
The court issued the directive on a public interest writ petition filed by P.E. Shamsudheen, a resident of the area. According to him, the company was engaged in the production of zinc at its factory located on 110 acres on the banks of the Periyar. Established in 1967, it had stopped operations all of a sudden on November 27, 2014 even as the production process was halfway through.
The company had virtually abandoned the plant, leaving no staff even to ensure the safety of the plant. Since there was no power supply to the abandoned factory, safety and fire-fighting equipment could not be operated. The petitioner pointed out that an inspection conducted by the Factories and Boilers Department and the State Pollution Control Board (PCB) two years ago had revealed that hazardous substances had been stored in the storage tank, process lines, and reactors on the factory premises.
They have the potential of polluting the river and environment and endangering public safety, if they were not removed from the premises in a scientific manner. The PCB direction in this regard had not been not complied with. In fact, the PCB and the Factories and Boilers Department did not take any concrete step for the removal of waste, except dashing off letters repeatedly to the company.
Tonnes of jerrosite, a hazardous waste, are stored in the open and caped ponds on the factory premises.