Ex-KSPCB chief's company violates pollution norms!

Bengaluru: Sunrays Composts, a waste processing unit owned by  former chairman of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB),  Vaman Acharya is polluting the Kanalli lake, according to an inspection report by the board. 

But  despite being aware of  the violations by the waste processing unit , the board has recommended issue of Consent for Operation (CfO) for Sunrays Compost till 2023.  Its previous consent expired on June 30. 

A  report signed by the board's Environmental Officer (EO) K Raju, who based it on an inspection conducted by the KSPCB on July 17 this year,   reads, "Not complied. The industry is discharging the leachate generated from the heap of the organic waste into the nearby valley, which joins Kanalli lake."

Sunrays produces 100 tonnes of organic manure and briquette every day and receives about 60 to 70  TPD of industrial organic waste from industries like BIOCON, Pepsi, Coca Cola, Himalaya Drug Co, besides expired food products and chicken cut waste and so on.

But going by the report, the industry discharges 1.5 KLD of waste water which it is supposed to recycle and its processing unit does not have a dust collector. Also,  Sunrays has not provided a suitable platform and porthole for the chimney, it says.

 When contacted, Mr Acharya,  said that he had spoken to the officer who had prepared the report and he had informed him that he had not said anything negative about his industry. "The officer said he had not made any negative remarks.  My industrial unit is very small. We are doing fairly well," he added.

Chairman of the KSPCB, Lakshman, however, said when contacted that "the  owner" had been asked to shift the industry. "The  CfO was given based on certain conditions. The unit will be inspected again after it shifts," he maintained.