Nagpur: The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), acting on a complaint lodged by an RTI activist, has slapped a notice to M/s Eros Motors Pvt Ltd, a showroom and workshop of Hyundai cars, for violating environmental related norms and operating its car workshop and servicing centre without obtaining MPCB’s consent.
The RTI activist Kamalesh Shantilal Shah of TRAP Group, Nagpur, in his complaint to MPCB had stated that Eros Hyndai was polluting the environment grossly. Filthy water containing oil, grease and other pollutants were not being disposed of properly after servicing of cars. The toxics were causing damage to the fragile environment. The waste water was not being treated before discharging. The company has not set up Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) to treat waste water as is mandatory, Shah had pointed out in his plaint. Further, he had urged the MPCB authorities to visit the site and verify whether the environment norms were being followed by the said service centre. If not, stringent action should be initiated against the wilful polluter.
Subsequently, on receipt of the complaint, a MPCB official visited the site situated at Plot No. 7, Ghat Road, Nagpur, and found non-compliance of consent conditions on the part of M/s Eros Motors Pvt Ltd. It is obligatory on part of the company to comply all the consent conditions granted by the Board under the provisions of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, Hazardous Waste (Management, Handling, Trans Boundary Movement) Rules 2008 situated at the abovementioned address.
However, the visiting MPCB official observed that though the company had set up ETP for waste water generated from washing section but the ETP was not operational. Untreated effluent generated from vehicle washing section was being discharged outside the premises. The company had not produced record related generation and disposal of hazardous waste. Moreover, oil skimmer was not provided to the ETP.
After finding the brazen violation of environmental violations, the MPCB slapped a notice to M/s Eros Motors Pvt Ltd and asked it to come clean within seven days regarding the corrective action taken over the abovementioned points. The Board further warned that non-compliance could attract stern legal action including closure of the unit.
The notice was under the signature of Hema Deshpande, Sub-Regional Officer-I, MPCB, Nagpur. A copy of the notice was submitted to the Regional Officer of the Board in Nagpur with a request to issue a show cause notice to the said company for violation of consent conditions.
