Extension to VECL against Supreme Court order: Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti

Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti has criticized Gujarat Pollution Control Board's (GPCB) move to extend closure notice by 90 days to Vadodara Enviro Channel Ltd (VECL), saying that this is a violation of the judgement of Supreme Court. However, a top GPCB official said that closure would lead to work at over 1,000 companies in the region coming to a standstill leading to widespread job losses. The extension was given to balance environmental protection as well as socio-economic well being.

Activist Rohit Prajapati of Samiti said that units that are a part of Vadodara petrochemical complex, as well as chemicals manufacturing companies in Nandesari, have been releasing their effluents into the estuary of Mahi near Sarod through this pipeline. In spite of the fact that there are norms for effluents, these are not adhered to, said Prajapati. "The level of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) should be 250 mg/litre. But the COD ranges from 700 mg/litre to 1,000 mg/litre. The previous deadline of closure notice was to end on May 11, but GPCB extended the deadline, just a day ahead of its expiry," said Prajapati.

K C Mistry, member secretary of GPCB said that VECL has submitted a time-bound action plan to bring effluent norms as per the standards set. "We have taken a bank guarantee from them. We have submitted all the fact to National Green Tribunal in an affidavit, so we are not hiding anything. We want to ensure that there are no job losses," Mistry said.

Prajapati said that if effluent norms are violated, criminal actions can be taken against the company. If the state fails to implement this judgement then the liability will be on the chief secretary, environment secretary and member secretary of GPCB.