Minister assures on pollution control measures by paper mill

Chandigarh, June 25 (UNI) The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has not received any report so far on the death of animals and birds in and around Saila Khurd village in Hoshiarpur district due to the discharge of toxic waste from a paper mill owned by Amrit Banaspati.

There is also no information with the Board about the outbreak of certain diseases in the surrounding areas of this industrial unit, Minister of Science and Technology and Enviornment Bikram Singh Majithia informed the Vidhan Sabha while replying to a call attention motion moved by Jatinder Singh Kariha (SAD).

Mr Majithia informed the House that Amrit Banaspati has a paper mill which uses agro residue as well as waste paper as raw material to manufacture 110 TPD writing and printing paper. It is discharging 10,560 cubic meter per day of waste water for irrigation.

The industrial unit has 122 acres of land and another 2200 acres of land owned by farmers is utilizing this waste water for irrigation. The water being used for irrigation is treated and the unit had been granted consent to operate by PPCB, he informed the House.

Mr Majithia said that the unit has tried a proven technology of Lignin Precipitation from its waste water. This project has, now been sanctioned by ministry of Environment and Forests, New Delhi, he said while admitting that PPCB had received complaints from the residents of surrounding villages regarding pollution caused by the industry.

The government was quite aware of the need of controlling the pollution, as well as of the proper treatment of effluent discharged by the industry, he added. PPPCB had sometime back initiated strict action against the industry, he said.

Mr Majithia told the House that on the pursuance of the action by the Board, the industrial unit had installed the Lignin Precipitation Plant at a cost of Rs 12 crore. Expansion of existing Lignin Precipitation Plant would ensure recovery of caustic soda, lignin and biogas from the effluents, he said.

Reforestation and tree plantation has also been undertaken by the industrial unit in its premises, he added.

The completion of the safety measures would solve the problem of pollution from this industrial unit, he assured the House.

UNI