The production at the sugar factory of Mysore Paper Mills (MPM), a public sector undertaking, at Bhadravati began on January 3.
It may be mentioned here that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had ordered for the closure of Mysore Paper Mills from December 15, 2014 for not abiding by the norms laid down by the board.
The closure order was issued on the grounds that the MPM had failed to comply with the prescribed emission standards in coal-fired boilers. The pollution control board had directed the firm to install new electrostatic precipitators (ESP) to address the problem. In addition, it had asked the MPM to install new flow meter at the inlet and outlet of the effluent treatment plant, provide impervious lining in lagoons, install and commission lime kiln unit, construct stormwater drains at fly-ash loading area and install adequate dust suppression system and wind barriers in the coal-handling area.
The management of MPM had approached the Southern Bench of National Green Tribunal against the closure order.
The MPM had told the tribunal that it would adopt the guidelines issued by the pollution control board and sought permission to begin production of sugar to protect the interests of farmers, who had entered into an agreement with the firm on the supply of sugarcane.
Naveen Raj Singh, Managing Director of MPM, told The Hindu that the tribunal had permitted the firm to begin the crushing of sugarcane. The firm had bypassed the old ESP in its coal-fired boilers and installed new ones. In addition, imported coal and high quality chemicals were being used in the boilers to comply with the emission norms.
The firm would take appropriate action based on the 15 observations made by the pollution control board, he said.
The firm had entered into a contract with farmers to purchase 2.1 lakh tonnes of sugarcane this year. It has so far crushed 1.3 lakh tonnes of sugarcane and 80,000 tonnes are in various fields. The firm had maintained the optimum crushing capacity of 2,000 tonnes a day, he said.
