Chairman PCB inspects industrial units at Samba and Kathua

Kathua: Chairman J&K Pollution Control Board, Suresh Chugh today inspected several industrial units in Samba and Kathua.
He was accompanied by B.M Sharma, Member Secretary PCB, Dr. Syed Nadeem Hussain, Regional Director Jammu, Dr. Yash Pal, State Analyst, Sanjay Rathore, District Officer Samba North, Angrez Singh, District Officer Samba South, Anil Sharma, District Officer Kathua and other officials of the Pollution Control Board and SIDCO.
The inspections were carried out to take stock of the preparedness of the units and safety precautions to be taken before resuming operation after the COVID-19 lockdown. The units inspected were UFLEX unit-I, Baribrahmna, Cadila Pharmaceuticals, Samba South, Satyam Cements, Kathua and Kohinoor Tyre Retreading Unit Kathua.
Chairman PCB also took stock of the ongoing work at the Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) at Samba South Phase-I. He was informed that 80% of the work on the CETP had already been completed. Chairman directed the SIDCO officials speed up the work to complete the same in a stipulated time frame in compliance of the directions of the NGT.
It is pertinent to mention that due to serious chemical leakages in a gas plant in Vishakhapatnam several people lost their lives recently. This prompted the NGT to direct the Central Pollution Control Board to frame guidelines for the precautions to be taken before resuming operation by all units since the units have largely remained closed during the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown. CPCB has now come up with a set of guidelines to be followed by all industrial units resuming operations.
Accordingly, Chairman PCB directed the unit holders to take up proper safety and hazard audit before resuming operations and to ensure that they shall take utmost care in handling hazardous chemicals by using trained manpower only. He further directed to ensure that the all the pollution control equipment, Effluent Treatment Plants including safety equipment etc. be kept in good operable conditions before resuming operations. He asserted that JK PCB shall closely monitor the situation and ensure that environmental norms are not violated by any unit.