The High Court on Thursday suspended the AP Pollution Control Board (APPCB)'s closure notice to manufacturing units of Amara Raja Batteries Limited (ARB) in Chittoor district. It is, however, subject to the condition that ARBL should carry out operations under the supervision of the APPCB and comply with its norms by June 17.
The court directed the APPCB to submit a report after that date and posted the case for further hearing on June 28.
It may be recalled that the APPCB issued notices to ARBL on April 30 for closing its manufacturing plants at Karakambadi and Nunegundlapalli in Chittoor district for allegedly violating the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
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The company has been charged with polluting ambient air, which resulted in the presence of high levels of lead in the blood of its employees and people of surrounding villages, discharging untreated wastewater into drains and untreated sewage into stormwater drains and causing soil contamination.