MPCB shuts CEAT Tyres factory, orders water and power cut

Mumbai: In its efforts to curb air pollution, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) on Thursday directed CEAT Tyres factory in Bhandup to temporarily shut down production for violating environmental rules. MPCB also ordered respective agencies to cut water and power supply to the company.

Apart from the shutdown notice, the company’s bank guarantee of ₹25 lakh was also seized. MPCB joint director (air) V M Motghare confirmed the move.

Last week, the body had asked Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) and Tata Power Co Ltd (TPCL) to reduce production by 50%, and also issued strict guidelines to Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers Limited (RCF) in Chembur and closed down two ready mix concrete (RMC) plants in the city.

Motghare said, “We have been sending notices to the company from time to time about their environmental noncompliance. Despite that, we found issues with trash handling by the company. We deployed Air Quality Monitoring (AQI) vans around its premises which detected black particle emissions. This led to the shutdown order on Thursday.”

He added, “Till Friday, our team visited around 63 RMC plants and other small establishments and found some irregularities; we will take further action against them.”

On Friday, due to wind speed, the AQI in the city was moderate.

Motghare further said, “To mitigate air pollution, MPCB also empowered all local bodies under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, to take action against establishments violating air pollution guidelines.”

Meanwhile, HT reached out to the CEAT Tyres public relations team for their version, but they refused to comment on the issue, saying they hadn’t received any notice from MPCB.

Tata Power on Friday issued a press statement stating, “As part of the mitigation plan to control the pollution levels in the city, MPCB has asked Tata Power to explore the feasibility of reducing the particulate matter from the stack from the present permissible 100 mg/Nm3 to a more benign 50 mg/Nm3. We will work jointly with MPCB for an effective solution.”

Tata Power was the first to adopt flue gas desulfurization (FGD) technology in 1988, well ahead of regulatory mandates. The press statement added that other measures that the facility is undertaking include the utilisation of cleaner imported coal, electrostatic precipitators (ESPs), low NOx burners, rain guns, and mist water sprinklers at the coal unloading point, usage of a state-of-the-art screw unloader system for coal handling to ensure zero spillage, maintaining an extensive green cover, and the implementation of continuous emission monitoring systems (CEMS) on all stacks.