Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Pankaj Srivastava Vs Birla Carbon India Private Limited dated 24/07/2023.

The grievance in the application is violation of Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 by Birla Carbon plant in Renukoot, Uttar Pradesh. It is alleged that the unit is running without any consent from the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) and the unit has not taken consent for its 6 reactors, vent scrubber stacks and 2 main bag filter stacks. The unit has not disclosed the height of its 6 reactor vent scrubbers stacks and 2 main bag filter stacks for consent. Reactor, vent scrubber and main bag filter stack is used during plant shutdown, and also contain un-burnt carbon monoxide which is a byproduct of this plant, the application by Pankaj Srivastava said.

The NGT, July 24, 2023 directed a committee to be constituted consisting of Collector, Renukoot, Uttar Pradesh and one representative from the UPPCB. The committee was directed to visit the site and submit a factual and action taken report within four weeks. The report should contain compliance status with respect to consent to operate (CTO) granted on January 30, 2019 and also on additional manufacturing processes. The report must also contain ambient air quality data around the industry and trends of ambient air quality as per established National Air Quality Monitoring Program (NAMP) station, if operated, the order said.