Passers-by and motorists could not help but pause for a moment and observe the little set-up beside the Saphalyam Complex at Palayam in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday morning.

AHMEDABAD: After a campaign against litterbugs and procurements to spruce up waste collection in the city, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) now has a roadmap for a zero waste Ahmedabad by 2031. The document, the only of its kind in the country was prepared with the help of United Nations Center for Regional Development (UNCRD), which identified a consultant and sponsored $20,000 for the report.

The city was part of the 'ISWA World Congress 2011- Moving Towards Zero Waste for a Green Economy - Role of Local Authorities' which deliberated zero waste policies and strategies. The congress gave examples of US, UK and Philippines as countries that made significant progress in instituting a zero waste society.

After not-so-successful attempts at source segregation of waste initiatives in the city, the Coimbatore Corporation is gearing up for introducing a few measures aimed at restarting the process. And the civic body has every reason to do so because at stake is Rs. 96 crore – the money it has invested to put in place a solid waste management system.

Sources in the Corporation say that under the Shunya – Zero Waste Management project, the civic body with help from ICLEI, an NGO, and others, is planning to conduct a day-long workshop on source segregation of waste for stake-holders and civil society organisations and follow it up with introducing the process in a few wards on a trial basis.

In the grievance meet held here on Friday, Collector Ajay Yadav assured farmers that polluting units that do not conform to Zero Liquidity Discharge norms would be shut down.

Addressing farmers’ grievances, he said, “We will take measures to close down the factories discharging effluents into Palar and not complying with zero liquid discharge. I have discussed this with the chairman of Pollution Control Board.”

PCB claims ‘zero’ discharge from factories

SAMBA: Eight buffaloes were killed while four others fell ill after they consumed poisonous water from a nallah coming from SIDCO Industrial complex Samba to Basantar river this afternoon. The members of the Gujjar community whose cattle were grazing near river Basantar came to know about the matter and rushed there. They found six animals dead and about half a dozen others writhing in pain on the ground. They lodged their strong protest and alleged that their cattle died after they drank polluted poisonous water coming from about twenty factories located in SIDCO complex Samba.

The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has detected two illegally operating dyeing units at Lakshmi Nagar and Angeripalayam areas during raids conducted over two days ending on Tuesday.

Both the units were found discharging effluents indiscriminately into the open in violation of the Madras High Court directives asking the dyeing units to adhere to the zero liquid discharge (ZLD) norms in the effluent treatment process.

PCB clueless on source of dumping of chemicals

About 2.48 crore litres of effluents generated by nearly 55 industrial units in Eloor and Edayar are let out into the Periyar River daily after primary treatment, against the prescribed norm of ‘zero discharge’ by industries to prevent pollution of rivers. According to the official data available with the Kerala State Pollution Control Board, there are 270 industrial units in the Eloor and Edayar region.

PCB clueless on source of illegal dumping of chemicals

About 2.48 crore litres of effluents generated by nearly 55 industrial units in Eloor and Edayar are let out into the Periyar River daily after primary treatment, against the prescribed norm of ‘zero discharge’ by industries to prevent pollution of rivers. According to the official data available with the Kerala State Pollution Control Board, there are 270 industrial units in the Eloor and Edayar region.

An expert committee of APPCB has pointed out the presence of unapproved products in samples of 15 drug and pharmaceutical manufacturing units. The findings were part of a report sought by the Appellate Authority under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, with respect to an appeal filed by 18 drug and pharmaceutical manufacturing units.

The report has mentioned that the products were other than those permitted under Consent For Establishment and Consent For Operation given by the APPCB.