No action on illegal water plants yet by NMC: MPCB
12 Nov 2020 07:12:35
Staff Reporter :
Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is yet to take any action against the cool water can, chilled water jar units (plants) engaged in the business of selling bottled/packaged water without licence in city. Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has issued directions to all local bodies of the district to identify the cool water can, chilled water jar units (plants) which have no permission from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and NoC from Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) to run such plants, and seal them immediately. “We have issued notice to NMC also as it has over 125 cool water can, chilled water jar units (plants) under its jurisdiction, and provide a report of such action to the Board.
But we have received no response from NMC so far,” said Hema Deshpande, Sub Regional Officer, MPCB, Nagpur while talking to the The Hitavada. “Kalmeshwar Municipal Council has sealed six such water plants coming under its jurisdiction recently but we have received no response from NMC so far,” added Deshpande. The Principal Bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT), recently, passed an order for MPCB to seal such plants immediately which have no permission from the CPCB and FDA. Petitioner Vijaysingh Dubbal and others filed an application before the NGT, regarding manufacturing plants or units of chilled drinking water jars/cans without obtaining ‘Consent to Operate’ and selling of such unpackaged and unsealed chilled water jars or cans, which are not potable and thus hazardous to health.
As per the order, the threat needs to be taken seriously as water used for chilling and then selling it in cans or jars is fetched from bore well which can contain various impurities including fungal growth, other hazardous contains like lead, chemicals, solvents, etc. All such units are also withdrawing much quantity of ground water illegally, they do not take permission from Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), their activities actually lead to not only ground water depletion but also to contamination, if released waste water has pollutants, the order said. In this regard, MPCB conducted a meeting with Urban Development Department, FDA and CGWA recently in which the decision was made that Deputy Secretary of Urban Development Department will collect information from all the Urban Local Bodies.