India: 893 textile units in Sanganer served closure notices

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India: 893 textile units in Sanganer served closure notices

Following a high court order, the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board (RSPCB) has issued closure notices to 893 textile units in Sanganer. All these units have failed to install a common effluent treatment plant (CETP) and are discharging 17-18 million litres per day (MLD) of untreated chemical water into Dravyawati river.

The power department and PHED have been asked to snap all electricity and water connections of the identified units. The court has asked to shut 213 units by May 31 and rest by June 30. The district administration and police have been asked to support the departments concerned in implementing the court order.

According to the RSPCB officials, the board has to submit a compliance report on May 18. "A total of 893 units were asked to stop their operations. The action-taken report will be presented before the court," said Aparna Arora, chairperson, RSPCB. As per a study conducted in 2012, a total of 650 units were functional, discharging 12.3 MLD of effluents. However, officials maintain that the actual figure is much higher. They said that more than 17 MLD effluents are being discharged.

The confrontation between the textile unit owners and the government is on the cost of setting up the common effluent treatment plant (CETP). It is estimated to cost around Rs 110-120 crore. The Textile Unit Owners' Association said that it didn't have this much money and urged the government to set up the plant. The court has asked that state and the Centre to share 50% of the cost while the association would bear the remaining 50% cost.

The issue of CETP is pending since year 2003 when the high court had instructed the owners to set up the plant. Later, the Supreme Court had also asked them to follow the orders. In the year 2014, after receiving the environmental clearance from the RSPCB, they gave their consent to set up the plant under the Water Act.