Karnataka pollution board sends closure notice to BJP MLA’s sugar factory

Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) issued a closure notice to a sugar factory owned by former Union minister and BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal in Kalaburagi’s Chimmaidlai village over various violations.

According to the notice issued on January 25, Siddhasiri Ethanol and Power has been found releasing untreated waste into water streams, stagnation of effluents, storage of press mud and ash in open areas, and improper containment of excess condensation from sugar units, posing a risk of groundwater pollution. Additionally, the factory was found to have commenced cane-crushing activities without obtaining prior consent from KSPCB.

“The cane crushing activity has been started without prior Consent For Operation (CFO) of the board. The bagasse was stored in an open yard. The project proponent informed us that the bagasse was purchased from outside. The ETP construction work was in progress. The boiler has been commissioned and operating. The industry has installed distillation columns for the production of ethanol, though Consent for Establishment (CFE) has not been issued for the said activity,” the closure notice read.

Reacting to the notice, Yatnal took to X (formerly Twitter), stating that the KSPCB order was politically motivated. He said he had established the factory in an underdeveloped region with the objective to create jobs for the locals.

“The factory was established to help farmers and create employment in a backward region. We will challenge this in court. I am not afraid of such notices and orders,” he added.

Meanwhile, environment minister Eshwar Khandre defended KSPCB’s actions, citing blatant violations of environmental regulations by Yatnal’s factory.

“Yatnal’s factory crushed tonnes of sugarcane without getting permission from the authority concerned. A year ago, the Union government had penalised Yatnal with ₹1.5 crore for violating the Environmental Protection Act. Yatnal paid the penalty amount. When this case has happened, Yatnal’s allegations that the state government’s action was due to political reasons is baseless,” Khandre told the press in Kalaburagi.

The closure of the sugar factory comes amid heightened scrutiny of industrial compliance, following a recent incident in Humnabad in the Bidar district, where two workers died due to a gas leak.

The environment minister initiated a comprehensive audit of the industrial operations across the state to ensure adherence to environmental norms. In a meeting of the pollution control board held a week ago, the minister had asked officials to find out how many factories violated the Environment Protection Act and sought a report on the violators.

Based on the report, the state government started taking action against various factories for polluting air and water, Khandre clarified.