KOCHI: The Muvattupuzha Vigilance Court has issued an order for a quick verification report against K. Sajeevan, Chairman of the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KPCB) and former member secretary P. Molikutty, on Friday. Vigilance Court special judge P. Madhavan has issued the order on a petition filed by Mohammad Iqbal, an activist of Jana Jagratha, an organisation working in the area of environmental protection, stating that KPCB has granted permission of Sresakthi Paper Mills Ltd to function despite the company was not having a proper effluent treatment mechanism. The permission renewed in 2010, 2013 and 2016.
The petitioner stated that the although environment engineer of the PCB has stated that the company was not having an effluent treatment mechanism and it was dumping toxic material to River Periyar, Mr. Sajeevan has renewed the permission in 2013. The PCB chairman has also not taken any measures to implement the statutory directive from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) that the company should be instructed to set up an online air and water pollution monitoring mechanism by June 30, 2015.
The chairman has misused his official position by renewing permission in 2016 for the company to operate despite the failure in adhering to the CPCB directive. The petitioner has approached the court as the state government was sitting on request made by him seeking permission for the prosecution of Mr. Sajeevan, the first accused in the case. The former member secretary is the second accused in the case. The court has asked the VACB to submit the QVR before October 30.
