Hyderabad: Pollution of water bodies and other natural resources continues on the outskirts of the city with the State Pollution Control Board choosing to ignore rampant violation of environmental laws. Sri Krishna Pharmaceutical in Uppal, and Neuland Pharmaceuticals, Jinnaram in Medak, were found to produce drugs four-six times more than the permitted limit.
“Several million litres of effluents are produced. The drug companies have been found releasing the effluents in the storm-water drains in the wee hours,” said K. Veera Reddy, an activist of the Maa Telangana Party, who had filed cases against the bulk drug industries.
Incidentally, both the companies were granted the ‘consent for operation’ (CFO) recently. According to the environmental activists, these companies were repeated violators of environmental laws.
Prior to granting the CFO, APPCB environmental engineer, Ranga Reddy district, in a report (the copy of which is with this newspaper) after inspecting Sri Krishna Pharmaceutical, had said that the industry was operating without the consent of the Board and its earlier proposals were rejected several times.
The report also said that it is permitted to produce Paracetamol and Domperdione Maleate. Though the company had consented to produce 1.88 lakh kg of Paracetamol, it was found producing 6.2 lakh kg. The unit was discharging the effluents clandestinely during the wee hours through a storm-water drain that is connected to the adjacent Musi river.
Similarly, the inspection report of Neuland Laboratories said that the industry was found manufacturing 28 products, of which 13 products were “un-consented”. Moreover, the company was generating effluents more than the permitted limit.
State Pollution Control Board member-secretary Sanjay Kumar said, “When the companies violate the norms, they are issued notices and a large amount of their bank guarantee, which in case of Neuland is Rs 25 lakh, is forfeited.”
However, environmentalists say otherwise. Jasveen Jairath of Save Our Urban Lakes says, “Drug industries are found releasing the effluents openly. Some are found releasing them in already dug borewells.”
