KOCHI: A first of its kind criminal case has been registered against an industrial unit at Eloor in Ernakulam district for violation of Air Act. The judicial first class magistrate court in Kalamassery ordered to prosecute Thriveni Carbonics (P) Ltd for the offence committed punishable under Section 37 of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981, based on the petition of Eloor resident and green activist K.M. Prasad.
“According to our knowledge, this is the first case in the state prosecuting for an offence under Air Act by a person other than the officer authorised by Pollution Control Board,” said his lawyer K.K. Ashkar. The company engaged in manufacturing liquefied carbon dioxide gas has violated the norms of Air Act by functioning without the consent of PCB for a period of seven months from June 30, 2012, to January 30, 2013. The court observed that the company had no permission for conducting its operation during the relevant period, a serious violation of the Air Act.
The industrial unit failed to apply for renewal of consent on time. As per the Act, industrial units should submit the renewal application form between three and four months in advance from the date of expiry of the consent. However, it submitted the application form to the PCB on June 30, 2012, the date on which the consent expired, which is a blatant violation of Section 21 of the Air Act, according to the complainant. Later, an inquiry was conducted and based on the complaint, supporting documents and pieces of evidence, the court found that the company had violated the norms.
