From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jul 1: Nine laboratories under the control of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, including one in Mangaluru, will be upgraded as per a decision taken at a meeting held under the chairmanship of state environment and tourism minister C P Yogeshwar in Bengaluru on Thursday.
The other eight laboratories are in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hassan, Belagavi, Dharwad, Kalaburagi, Raichur and Davangere.
The meeting also decided to fill up the 174 vacant posts in the Board in the first phase and another 154 posts will be filled up in the second phase.
The minister said the time limit for payment of the revised consent fee prescribed for industries has been extended by 3 months.
The new office of the Board built in Suryanagar in the city will be inaugurated shortly, the minister said.
Personal inspection of effluent disposal by industries
Yogeshwar said several complaints have been received against different types of industries located in Bengaluru and other places in the city for releasing the effluents and other stuff into rivers, lakes and other sources of water without processing scientifically, and promised to launch a personal inspection drive throughout the state from next week.
The effluent discharge from industries into rivers, lakes and other sources of water must compulsorily be treated and processed scientifically in three stages as prescribed, he said.
He warned that strict action will be taken against any industry found to be violating the environment control norms and promised to take stringent action against the officials responsible for supervision.
The minister said the mines and geology department was issuing permits for the transport of sand, granite and stones. He promised to introduce a system of granting permits for the disposal of effluents by weight.
He took serious note of the discharge of effluents into 129 tanks in the KC Valley in Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts without processing. As many as 84 tanks have already been filled up without the first and second of scientific processing which has resulted in the water table in the region being contaminated. In view of this, the tanks should be filled up only after the third stage of processing, he said warned of strict action against those found responsible for the lapses.
He suggested that effluents must be processed by adopting Israeli technology, which would improve the quality of water and can be safely used for agriculture.
Environment department’s principal secretary, Brijesh Kumar, State Pollution Control Board member-secretary, Srinivasulu and other senior officials participated in the meeting.