Arunachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board serves Notice for Closure of Factory

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: The Arunachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (APSPCB) has issued a notice for the closure of the smelter factory, namely M/s Shree Salasar Industries at Lekhi, near here, saying the factory causes harmful emissions affecting the locality.

It is a ferroalloy industry with a capacity of 8,800 MTA and was established in 2003 its licence is valid up to 14 June 2025. Following several complaints, an APSPCB team inspected the factory on July 4, 2022, and served a show-cause notice to the factory.

Besides large human settlements, there are several commercial establishments, truck and bus terminals, and a railway station on the other side of the Pachin River, where the industry is located. In the past, several groups had demanded the shifting of the factory from Lekhi to some other place.

It may be recalled here that the people of Lekhi and nearby areas allege that, since the establishment of the factory, it has been polluting the environment and causing serious health hazards and the local people have lodged several complaints with the state government.

The APSPCB had closed the industry as its pollution control devices were defunct. It remained closed for around six months. However, the Shillong-based Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) inspection team was invited in November 2020 to check the status and monitor air samples.

Based on the CPCB laboratory report and compliance with all its given conditions, a consent order for the functioning of the factory was issued on July 14, 2021.

It is an orange category industry as per Schedule 8 of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) & (Amendment) Rules, 2020.

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