GPCB continues to hold public hearings despite protests

VADODARA: The Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) will be conducting a public hearing today for Dyes and Dye Intermediary Firm in Luna, 16 km from the city of Vadodara, while environmental activists are expressing concerns over such public hearings, calling them ‘contradictory’ to GPCB’s guidelines which it had released in 2016. This will be the third hearing conducted by GPCB.

Earlier, after severe groundwater contamination was reported from the industrial area in Padra, GPCB had imposed restrictions on expansion of existing industries or setting up of new industries in the area in 2016.

“On May 7, 2004, through its interim order the Supreme Court directed the district administration to provide potable water to seven villages of effluent channel project (ECP) cluster in Padra. The severe groundwater contamination was also mentioned in that order,” said activist Rohit Prajapati. Four reports from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and three from GPCB were later released about groundwater contamination in and around the Luna village. These reports led to the filing of a PIL in the Supreme Court in 2012 after which the final order of the apex court came in February 2017. Rohit further said that following this background and the fact that the GPCB has not lifted the moratorium that has been in place since 2016, conducting such public hearings is non-compliance of SC orders.