18 factories told to shut shop for flouting green norm

In the past two months, West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) has issued closure notice to 18 companies in the

state for flouting environmental norms.

In many such factories — most of which are sponge iron units, cement industries, dyeing and bleaching units, paper units, plastic fibre-making units — electricity supply has been cut off.

WBPCB took the action either suo motto or complaints from local residents which was followed by inspections.

"We would have been happy if the number of companies issued closure notices had been less. We want industries to operate in the state, and we have no problem if they abide to environmental laws," Benoy Kanti Dutta, the chairperson of WBPCB, told The Indian Express.

Officials of the board said that in many cases the owners of the units had been warned against flouting green norms and inspections were carried out by joint team of officials and locals. Sources at the Pollution Control Board said that even government hospitals have not been spared. Divisional Hospital South Eastern Railway at Adra in Purulia district too hs been issued closure notice.In the second week of June, the board served a notice to Raghunathpur Sub-Division Hospital to operate as per the biomedical waste norms.

In some cases additional pollution costs have been imposed on companies. For instance, three tanneries in Kolkata Leather Complex have been imposed an additional pollution cost of Rs 50,000 and some companies have been asked to increase the bank guarantees.

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