PANJIM: Goa’s 16 major private and public sector companies in the field of power generation, steel production, liquor, fertilizers and pharmaceuticals were issued show cause notices on Thursday by Goa State Pollution Control Board for failing to install online stack emission, effluent and ambient air quality monitoring system. GSPCB Member Secretary Levinson Martin who issued the notices, has asked the companies to reply within 15 days, failing which action would be taken to close the units. The Board has said that in letters dated April 21, 2011, August 8, 2011 and January 10, 2012 the companies were directed to take immediate measures for installation of the system by June 2012, but they failed to act. Talking to reporters, GSPCB Chairman Jose Manuel Noronha said that imprisonment up to three months or a fine can be imposed, if the companies fail to install the pollution monitoring gadgets required under the Air and Water Act. State government run Sanjivani Sahakari Sakkar Karkhana Limited is one amongst the 16 companies, which have been issued notices under Air (prevention and control of pollution) Act, 1981 and Water (prevention and control of pollution) Act, 1974. State’s only power generating plant, Reliance Infrastructure Limited, tyre manufacturing company – MRF, steel manufacturing units -- Goa Sponge and Power Limited, Shrithik Ispat, Sesa Goa Limited’s pig iron plant, Shraddha Ispat Private Limited, Nicomet Industries Limited, Ambey Metallic Limited and Aparant Iron and Steel Private Limited, fertilizer manufacturing industry – Zuari Industries Limited (ZIL) and pharma companies – Syngenta India Limited and Merck (India) Limited, and liquor distilleries – John Distilleries and United Spirits Limited have also been issued notices. Apart from this, liquor baron Vijay Mallya’s company- United Breweries has also been issued a notice. The companies have been asked to reply as to why appropriate action according to the provisions of the above mentioned Acts, should not be initiated against them for non compliance of the directions issued by Board, regarding installation of online stack emission, effluent and ambient air quality monitoring system. “The failure to reply to the aforementioned show cause notice within the stipulated time period will compel the Board to initiate stringent legal action against the companies as per the provisions of Air and Water act, which may include direction for closure of unit and disconnection of power and water connection,” the notice reads. “The installation of these systems would have enabled GSPCB and central pollution control board to effectively monitor the quality of ambient air and effluent discharge from the concerned industrial units,” the order stated.d