Pune: Rohit Pawar-Linked Baramati Agro Sugar Factory Asked To Explain Alleged Pollution Violations Within 7 Days

Pune: Baramati Agro's sugar factory, linked to Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, has been issued a show-cause notice by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) for alleged violations of environmental norms.

The notice comes days after MPCB officials inspected the sugar factory at Shetphalgade in Indapur tehsil following complaints from local residents alleging pollution caused by the unit. The factory has been given seven days to submit its explanation. The board has also directed that the unit should not operate in future without obtaining valid consent from the MPCB.

According to the MPCB, the inspection was carried out on 3rd July after villagers Sagar Wable and Chhagan Wable lodged a complaint alleging that the factory was causing environmental pollution. During the inspection, officials reportedly found several violations of environmental regulations and concluded that the factory had failed to comply with the board's prescribed operating conditions.

In the show-cause notice, the board alleged that untreated industrial effluent was being discharged into a two-acre pond. It further claimed that black-coloured wastewater from the pond was seeping into a nearby irrigation canal and was also being released into the canal through a pipeline.

The notice further stated that the factory lacked adequate arrangements for the storage of treated and untreated wastewater. According to the board, damaged pipelines could allow wastewater to seep into nearby wells and canals. It also alleged that the factory had not installed a proper wastewater pipeline network and had failed to provide a scientific storage system for hydrochloric acid, resulting in gas emissions.

MPCB Regional Officer Babasaheb Kukade said the factory has been given seven days to respond to the notice. He warned that legal action would be initiated if no satisfactory reply is received within the stipulated period. He also said the factory should not be operated in future without obtaining valid consent from the pollution control board.

Rohit Pawar could not be reached for comment on the notice, and no response had been received at the time of publication.