40 units issued closure orders

Surat: Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB), Surat, in the last one month, has ordered closure of 17 units for causing water pollution and 23 for air pollution. It also issued show cause notices to 49 units for causing pollution in the city.
Mostly these are dyeing, processing and textile units located in industrial areas of Pandesara, AK Road, Palsana and Sachin. “Here particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM 10) is more than the prescribed standards. Pollution causes health-related issues,” said RK Patel, regional officer, GPCB, Surat.

A unit at Jolva in Palsana was using fabric waste in its boiler and releasing high amount of PM in the air. The unit used to operate during night hours to go unnoticed. It was asked to immediately close down under pollution laws.

A unit in Udhna was releasing polluted water directly into the drains. This unit too was asked to immediately close down under pollution laws because water in the drain contained very high PH, COB and BOD.

Anil Patel, vigilance officer, GPCB, Surat said, “Closure orders are issued by the head office in Gandhinagar. We hope people will refrain from causing pollution in industrial areas.”