In a recent update on the long ongoing battle between Whitefield residents and the Graphite India Ltd (GIL) Bengaluru plant (the polluting operations of which had become a serious hazard in the area), the KSPCB (Karnataka State Pollution Control Board) has allowed the company to resume operations at the Bengaluru graphite electrode plant until June 30, 2020.
However, the KSPCB has renewed the “consent for operations” on the condition that Graphite India will shift the unit from the current location.
KSPCB had conducted an inspection of the plant on November 23, 2018.
“The condition will not have an adverse impact on the production capacity of the graphite electrode division as a whole in the medium and long-term,” Graphite India said in a statement.
GIL which is India’s largest graphite electrodes producer has three plants in India at Durgapur, Nashik and Bengaluru and one plant in Germany. The company’s total capacity was 78,000 tonnes and was increased to 98,000 tonnes two years back by undergoing expansion at Durgpaur unit.
The legal battle so far
Graphite India’s legal trouble started in 2012 when KSPCB issued a closure order to the company’s Bengaluru unit. However, the company then approached the Appellate Court, which then consented to its operation with certain conditions.
In response to this the residents Whitefield area where GIL unit is located approached the National Green Tribunal in 2013 against the order. Post this there has been little progress in the case apart from an order to the KSPCB to conduct a random inspection last year. In fact the role of the KSPCB itself came under the scanner as the tussle with GIL continued. When the matter finally reached the Supreme Court (SC), the KSPCB drew flak from the SC on the matter of GIL’s air pollution, especially in view of the overall pollution in Bangalore.
However, in September this year KSPCB carried out an inspection at GIL’s unit and the survey showed lapses in measures to reduce air quality. Later on in October, Supreme Court pulled up GIL for operating a plant in the area, as a serious offender contributing to air pollution and imposed a fine of INR 50 lakh based on the “polluter pays principle.”
According to the market sources, the KSPCB’s condition to shift the GIL’s unit from the current location is not a shock for the organisation as the company had prepared itself for this and has already replicated the Bengaluru’s plant capacity (13,000 tonnes) by recently expanding its Durgapur unit’s GE capacity from 34,000 tonnes to 54,000 tonnes.
Leave a Reply