The said distilleries are owned by leading politicians including Babasaheb Vikhe-Patil, Vijaysinh-Mohite Patil, Vinay Kore, Padamsinh Patil and Gopinath Munde.
In a major crackdown, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has issued notices to 32 distilleries in the state cooperative sector for violating environmental standards which has caused ground water contamination and crop damage. The said distilleries are owned by leading politicians of the state including Babasaheb Vikhe-Patil, Vijaysinh-Mohite Patil, Vinay Kore, Padamsinh Patil and Gopinath Munde.
In this phase I of the crackdown, after giving four of these distilleries a shut down notices, the Board has given 11 point directive of compliance to the distilleries taking bank guarantees to the tune of Rs50,000 to Rs5 lakh, as a proof of their intent to comply with the directions of the Board. Taking serious notice, the state sugar commissionerate is holding a meeting on Monday in Pune to review the action initiated by the Board. There is tremendous restlessness amongst top brass of Congress and NCP leaders as the 22 remaining distilleries will be under MPCB scanner in the Phase II of the crackdown in the coming weeks.
Field visits by officials during January revealed that the improper treatment and disposition of spent wash (effluent generated post-fermentation of molasses for production of alcohol) which was found stored in lagoons. Lack of lining system in the lagoon meant percolation of spent wash into the ground water. “Most of the distilleries do not have technical cells for daily operation and maintenance of pollution system. Even the primary treatment provided as bio-digester was found not operating due to lack of manpower," stated D B Boralkar, member-secretary, MPCB.
Governed by Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act, all proposals of the functioning of distilleries are cleared by the Vasantdada Sugar Institute. But many of these were found to be unacceptable to the MPCB, since they didn’t follow Central guidelines as well as those sought under Charter on Corporate Responsibility for Environment Protection.
“We have asked distillers to use new technology like Reverse Osmosis. As these distilleries are facing financial crunch, there is a need to develop technical and financial support package," observed Boralkar.
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