Racket of chemical waste disposal busted in city

Surat: Police raided an open plot being used as a warehouse in Pandesara GIDC of the city on Saturday upon receiving specific information about illegal disposal of toxic chemical waste into drainage from there. Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) teams collected samples to find out what material was being disposed of into the drainage with the help pressure pumps. The warehouse has been sealed.
Police booked Mitesh Patel, owner of the plot, and Hasmukh Patel, an employee, for disposing of toxic waste into the drainage. They later arrested Hasmukh and detained two truck drivers for questioning in this connection.

Police were alerted by locals about increased movement of tankers to the industrial plot, subsequent to which Hind Acid in Pandesara GIDC was raided. Cops found an underground tank that was connected to drainage through underground pipes. Four tankers of water and two empty tankers were found parked at the industrial plot. GPCB officials collected samples of the water and the liquid in the underground tank for tests.

Preliminary police investigation found that toxic waste was being disposed of at the spot for which the underground tank was built and drainage network laid. “The accused were running the racket to dispose of the toxic waste clandestinely,” said a police officer at Pandesara police station.

Many chemical units store chemical in their underground tanks, but they don’t connect them to drainage. “We are investigating what material was being disposed of. Action would be taken after we receive reports of the scientific tests. We have called the owner of the plot to register his statement,” police said.