The Hindu Business Line : Pepsi bottling plant in Vizag told not to use groundwater

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has issued a directive to a soft drink bottling unit at Madhurawada on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam not to use groundwater from April 1.

The directive was issued on a complaint sent to the Prime Minister in April 2005 by the Forum on Social and Human Rights, based at Polavaram in West Godavari district, highlighting "the predatory exploitation of groundwater by the Pepsi bottling unit, the pollution being caused by it, the unsatisfactory way in which effluents were being treated and other related issues."

The Pepsi bottling unit was directed not to use groundwater and to meet its entire requirement from municipal supply (surface water) from April 1, according to the president of the forum, Dr P. Pulla Rao. He said in a press release that the directive was issued by the Director of Ministry of Environment and Forests, Ms Nalini Bhat, last month. Following the complaint lodged by the forum, the Ministry examined the matter in consultation with the Ministry of Water Resources, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the AP Pollution Control Board (APPCB).

While the Central Groundwater Board declared that Madhurawada village was under the "safe category" for drawing water, the APPCB in its examination found that the bottling unit was not fully complying with the discharge standards and a show-cause notice was issued in July 2005.

It later conducted a legal hearing and directed the unit to comply with the standards and submit a bank guarantee of Rs 5 lakh towards its commitment to meet the requirements. Consequently the bottling unit submitted the bank guarantee.

The Union Ministry asked the APCCB to regularly monitor the use of water by the unit to ensure implementation of its directive.

More Stories on : Pollution | Andhra Pradesh | Water | Beverages

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