The four textile units – Winsome Textiles, Auro Textiles, Auro Dyeing and Auro Textile-II in the Baddi industrial area (Himachal Pradesh) – have been directed to close operations of their dyeing processes as their effluents have rendered the common effluent treatment plant (CETP) defunct. This is being looked as a major crackdown on polluting industries. An environmental compensation worth Rs. 1.86 crore has also been imposed on them for violating the provisions of the Water Act, 1974, and Environmental Protection Act, 1981 by the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB). Three textile units have been levied environmental compensation from 25 July 2020 to 31 December 2020 (160 days), while Auro Textiles has been levied it for 140 days. The regional officer of the SPCB has also been directed to ensure compliance within 7 days by the member secretary, SPCB. These were neither complying with the prescribed discharge standards nor notified inlet quality standards and caused water pollution in its orders. It is important to mention here that this issue was under process majorly from last year as an inspection committee of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had observed in November 2019 that these textile units engaged in dyeing processes generate category-IV effluents comprising concentrated dyes. The pipeline carrying these effluents was found non-functional and choked as they carried concentrated effluents from these units. Not only this, a major portion of this effluent got mixed with category 1 effluent and could not be treated appropriately. The CETP was not found fit for treatment of fixed dissolved solids (FDS) measuring around 22,000 mg/litre being received from these textile units. This was causing considerable pollution to the Balad river as all treated effluents are finally discharged into it by the CETP. The NGT had expressed concern over pollution in Balad river in Baddi and had directed the SPCB to close polluting activities and recover environmental compensation from the polluter in June 2020 after receipt of this report. The state board had issued show cause notices to these units in June 2020 and had asked them why their power supply should not be disconnected and an interim environmental compensation may not be imposed on them as per the laid norms. The textile units were directed to chalk out action plans and install their own treatment system to treat these effluents and follow inlet and treatment quality standards. The textile units challenged the order in the high court which while disposing their petitions had directed the State Government to take appropriate directions as per law against the polluting units while observing that no industry can be allowed to pollute water bodies.
