Andhra Pradesh PCB orders closure of Amar Raja Batteries

NELLORE: Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (AP PCB) on  Saturday  ordered immediate closure of plants belonging to Amara Raja Batteries Limited (ARBL) at Karkambadi and Nunegundlapalli villages in Chittoor district.

The board attributed closure orders to severe pollution caused by ARBL plants in the surrounding villages.

ARBL belongs to the family of former TD legislator Galla Arunakumari and Guntur TD MP Galla Jayadev.

In the notice served to Amara Raja company on Saturday, board officials underlined presence of high levels lead in blood samples collected from people of the villages.

“The lead values in blood are high (35%). Excess lead values in blood samples of those in surrounding villagers show that operation of these units is endangering public health” the notice said.

PCB further requested AP SPDCL to disconnect power supply to ARBL-run MVRLA, automotive batteries division, small battery unit, tubular unit, and unit 3 located along Chittoor-Bangalore road at Nunegundlapalli village of Bangarupalem mandal in Chittoor district.

Management of ARBL has said they are taking all necessary steps to comply with orders given by AP PCB. They have also pressed into action contingency plans to avoid dislocation in supplies of batteries to their customers across product segments, including essential-service segments like defence, hospitals and telecom.

“We shall continue to make our efforts to engage with AP PCB authorities in the interest of avoiding dislocation in supplies to some of our largest clients in sensitive sectors. At a time of a national emergency in the form of the Covid pandemic, such dislocation could be calamitous,” the management said in a press release on Saturday.