Based on the findings by the expert team from Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, six major industrial giants and as many as 23 small and medium sized industries were handed down a penalty of ₹6.7 crore for causing threat to the environment.
Implementing the orders issued by National Green Tribunal for identifying, penalising and taking remedial measures on polluting industries across the country, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has issued instructions to its District Environment Engineers to locate the point of pollution and take remedial steps. It also suggested imposing fines on the polluting industries to rectify the cause of pollutants.
Environment Engineer, Ranipet has submitted his report to the TNPCB-Chennai, which pointed out that six industrial units were letting out their industrial effluents without any process that were stipulated by Central Pollution Control Board.
These six industries have been fined ₹1 crore each. 23 other small and medium industries were found guilty of letting untreated industrial effluents and they have been asked to pay a fine of ₹75 lakh.
These companies have been asked to pay the fine within 15 days and to take remedial steps to curb the practice.
An expert team would finalise the quantum of compensation amount to the affected people, said Ranipet Sub-Collector, K. Elambahavath.
He said that as per the court findings, a major chemical manufacturer, Thirumalai Chemicals was imposed a fine of ₹18.6 lakh for letting out untreated industrial effluents outside the factory, that were reported in September 2019.
The company was asked to rectify its rain water harvesting structure and ordered for setting up closed circuit television cameras on drains to monitor the progress of effluents being letting out in the channels. The company has already remitted the fine and find the place in the list of violators once again.