Order of the National Green Tribunal regarding pollution caused by Matharu Chemical Industries, Punjab, 08/05/2014
Order of the National Green Tribunal (Principal Bench, New Delhi) in the matter of Parminder Singh V/s Punjab PCB & Ors dated 08/05/2014 regarding pollution caused by Matharu Chemical Industries, Punjab. The Order of the NGT mentions a report submitted before the Punjab and Haryana High Court by Thapar Center for Industrial Research & Development. The report shows that Matharu Chemical Industries was in operation and manufactured H-acid between July 1991 and February 2005. During this period, at the rate of 580 kg/batch and 35 batches per month, the industrial unit might have manufactured over 3000 tons of H-acid. From this industrial unit, there might have been generated over 17,000 tons of gypsum sludge, over 6,000 tons of iron oxide sludge, and wastewater containing over 2,000 tons of naphthalene based organic compounds and over 40,000 tons of inorganic salts and except selling out a small fraction, the industrial unit retained all the gypsum sludge and the iron oxide sludge within the premises.