Around 1,000 packaged drinking water units do not have the mandatory
consent from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), as per
submissions of counsel before the National Green Tribunal, Southern
Bench, here on Monday. Only 153 units function with relevant consents,
while 200-odd herbal water units without clearances were closed.
Clearances from the Public Works Department, Department of Food
Safety and Drug Administration and the Director of Town and Country
Planning are essential before applying to TNPCB for getting consent to
establish by any unit.
The Bench, comprising its judicial member Justice M.Chockalingam and
its expert member Prof. R.Nagendran made it clear that the units must
undergo the pre-requisite formalities.
“There is no compromise now,” said Mr.Justice Chockalingam.
Last March, the Tribunal had directed them to file a report after taking cognisance of a news item published in The Hindu
revealing violation of basic safety parameters in such units. Later,
the Tribunal passed interim orders giving relief to the units to
function till the TNPCB took call on their applications.
When the matter came up for hearing before the Tribunal,
C.Seethapathy, counsel for Tamil Nadu Packaged Drinking Water
Manufactures’ Association, contended that the Tamil Nadu Ground Water
Development and Management Act, 2003, was repealed by an ordinance on
September 14.
Hence, the units were not required to get clearance from Central
Ground Water Authority. He prayed the Tribunal to order the TNPCB to
process the pending applications of units.
Samples
Rita Chandrasekar, counsel for TNPCB, submitted that 967 packaged
drinking units were functioning in the State. Out of which, only 153
units had valid consent from the TNPCB and the remaining 814 units are
without consent. As per the direction of Tribunal, the TNPCB could
receive samples from 805 units and other units were closed.
She said the units should fulfil pre-requisite formalities before
obtaining a ‘consent to establish’ from the TNPCB. Now units should
first approach Public Works Department (PWD), owner of water bodies for
clearance and then the units have to get a licence from Food Safety and
Drug Administration after certifying the water quality. The units also
should approach the Directorate of Town and Country Planning for
classification. On satisfying those formalities by the units, the TNPCB
can process applications for granting consent to establish to those.
M.R. Gokul Krishnan, counsel for the State government’s Food Safety
and Drug Administration, said the Commissioner for Food Safety and Drug
Administration had issued closure orders to 247 herbal water units
functioning without any clearance.
Adjourned
After hearing the submissions of counsel, the Tribunal directed the
water packaged drinking units to approach the respective authority after
completing pre-requisite formalities.
The matter was adjourned to November 29.
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