Published: 07th March 2015 06:00 AM
Last Updated: 07th March 2015VELLORE: The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has launched a drive to inspect all the Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) of tanneries, its member units and Individual Effluent Treatment Plants (IETPs) across the State to ensure that they comply with all rules and regulations.
The move comes in the wake of the accident at the CETP of SIDCO Finished Leather Effluent Treatment Company in Ranipet on January 31 in which ten workers were killed after toxic slurry swarmed the factories after the wall of an unauthorised Secure Land Fill of the CETP collapsed.
Chairman of the board, K Skandan, has constituted special teams comprising Environmental Engineers and Assistant Engineers to conduct field inspections in tanneries and CETPs.
There are a total of 696 member units, affiliated to 38 CETPs and 80 IETPs, in the State. This includes four CETPs with 223 member units and six IETPs in Vellore division, four CETPs with 222 member units and 20 IETPs in Vaniyambadi division, a CETP with seven member units and three IETPs in Tiruchy and a CETP with 61 member units and an IETP in Dindugal division.
Similarly, there are 13 CETPs and 37 IETPs in Pallavaram (Chennai) and Erode divisions respectively. “We started the special drive a week back. We will check each and every unit during the drive and submit a detailed report to the Chairman of the board by end of this month. So far, we have covered around 25 per cent of the total tanneries,” said a senior official.
The special teams would look into all aspects of the CETPS and IETPS to ensure that the tanneries were complying with the rules and regulations. “We are also checking whether all the facilities, including the pre-treatment facility, in each member units of the CETPs are fully functional,” said a source in the department.
The teams will also check for discharge of effluent in the open, the official said, adding, “If we find any units violating rules and polluting the environment or endangering the lives of workers, the department will take appropriate action.” The officials will also inspect whether the tanneries, CETPs and IETPs have proper certification from Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health.
Last Updated: 06th March 2015VELLORE: Six more persons were arrested by the CB-CID in connection with the tragic accident that claimed the lives of 10 tannery workers a month ago.
Those arrested late on Wednesday were R Ramesh (45), P Pugazhenthi (45), M Srinivasa Reddy (50), Saravana Karthick (35), G Rajendran (45) and Chava Srinivasa Rao(48), all members of the monitoring committee of Ranipet SIDCO Finished Leather Effluent Treatment Company
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