Pune: MPCB Orders VNIT To Draft Environmental Restoration Plans Following Violations
MPCB Pune Cracks Down On Automotive Sector Over Air and Water Pollution Violations
The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has directed the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT) in Nagpur to prepare action plans for environmental restoration at multiple sites following recent violations. The MPCB’s move comes after the National Green Tribunal’s western bench ordered assessments of Paithan MIDC in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and two development sites in Aundh and Bibvewadi.
The MPCB has allocated Rs 14.16 lakh for each site assessment. The Paithan MIDC area was found to have elevated levels of chloride, hardness, sulphate, and conductivity in its water, exceeding safe drinking standards due to industrial effluent discharge. The tribunal reported severe groundwater contamination affecting agriculture, but the specific polluting industries remain unidentified.
VNIT has been tasked with assessing groundwater contamination and developing a mitigation plan, including a comprehensive survey and historical contamination study. A short-term mitigation plan is to be submitted within 60 days.
Additionally, the MPCB has issued orders to assess environmental damage at Aundh and Bibvewadi, where construction occurred without necessary environmental clearances. One case resulted in a Rs 25 lakh fine for environmental damage.
VNIT will conduct site visits and surveys to evaluate environmental loss across various factors, including water, soil, noise, and ecology. A restoration plan for these factors is required to be submitted within 60 days, starting from July 1.
