Drug units seek stay on closures
Issued with the closure notices by the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board for pollution and operations in violation of the bulk drug manufacturing norms, 12 bulk drug majors in Medak and Ranga Reddy districts have approached the Appellate Authority for APPCB against the closure orders. The case will come up before the Appellate Authority on Wednesday, and sources said that the companies might ask for a stay or even the revocation of the closure orders.
Based on the recommendations of its task force, the APPCB on July 10 issued the closure orders to 12 bulk drug industries located in Medak and Ranga Reddy districts under the Water and Air Acts. Accordingly, these industries were directed to stop all activities with effect from July 23 after the completion of all on-going batches. Issuing the order, the APPCB charged the units with manufacturing products for which they had not taken consent, using excess water, thereby discharging additional wastewater, and using more boilers than permitted.
Crucially, the APPCB has cited the violations of the directives of the Appellate Authority itself dated December 12, 2011, while coming down heavily on the erring industries and issuing the closure notices in the process. APPCB officials disclosed that the Appellate Authority, in its orders last year, had stated that industries should approach the APPCB with all the required data whenever they wanted to manufacture unconsented products or increase production capacity so that the APPCB could be satisfied that the changes would not increase the pollution load.
The APPCB maintains that it had made clear that the appellant industries should not commence any new batches without its permission. Sources state that the pharma units are trying to get a meeting with the APPCB task force as per the provisions so that they are allowed to operate again after furnishing bank guarantees along with affirmations that they will comply with the APPCB norms hereafter. The units are also pleading that zero process liquid discharge systems ensure that no polluted water is released.
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