Thiruvananthapuram: The Central Pollution Control Board ordered Travancore Titanium Products Limited on Wednesday to shut down operations till it modernises its pollution abatement measures.
The order comes a day after the Supreme Court deadline of May 22 for the setting up of an Acid Neutralisation Plant at TTPL Neutralisation Plant. The CPCB order, which has been issued after an unannounced inspection at the plant in April, also directed TTPL to secure the requisite sanctions from the State Pollution Control Board.
Industries minister A.C. Moideen’s office stated that the state would appeal to review the order, and will seek legal advice on the issue. TTPL officials said that the plant had adhered to the Supreme Court deadline.
“The Neutralisation Plant is up and running at the plant now. It was yet to be functional when the CPCB officials made a flash inspection at the site in April,” said Mr Raghavan K., general manager (operations). What’s more, the State PCB officials were scheduled to visit the plant on May 24 to inspect and collect samples of the effluent discharged from the newly installed neutralisation plant.
If the officials are convinced, TTPL would have received the ‘consent to operate’ certificate. According to Mr Raghavan, the acidity of the discharge is now within permissible limits.
“In the random samples that we have taken, it is four,” he said. Values below 7 indicate acidity which increases as the number decreases.
