Pollution control board goes soft on two errant coke plants

SHILLONG, April 17: The Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) has failed to take any legal action against two coke plants in East Jaintia Hills district for establishing and operating their second plant (Chimney-II) without the single window agency (SWA) clearance.
The clearance is a must for applying for the consent to establish (CTE) a unit.
Sources on Sunday said the MSPCB had allowed both Jaintia Coke Industries at Soo Kilo and Meghalaya Coke Industries at Umpleng Pather to establish and operate their Chimney-II.
They questioned the favouritism on the part of the board to these coke plants owned by the same person.
The sources said it was surprising that the MSPCB did not reject the applications of the two coke plants for obtaining CTEs for the Chimney-II without the SWA clearance. These coke plants also do not have a no-objection certificate either from the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council or the Dolloi concerned.
“The board should have issued a closure notice to these plants,” one of the sources said. Meanwhile, it was learnt that the East Jaintia Hills deputy commissioner had written to the MSPCB regarding the Meghalaya Mineral Coke Industries at Umtyra, which is operating illegally.
The DC had also directed the pollution board to conduct an inquiry into how this coke plant started its operation without the consent to operate or CTO.