Gr Noida cancer belt units told to shut

Greater Noida: Two industrial units in Chhapraula, which has come to be called Greater Noida's cancer belt, have been asked to shut down following an NGT order directing strict action against polluting factories in the region.
The order came on a petition that drew the NGT's attention to groundwater contamination by industrial effluents in villages under Chhapraula block, where cancer has struck with alarming malignancy.As of November 2014, there were 47 cancer patients among about 40,000 residents in six Chhapraula villages of Khera Dharampur, Binouli, Dujana, Achcheja, Sadopur and Saudullapur.
The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) said it had served shutdown notices to two units - India Woodlin and Arvi Components - and asked another seven factories to bring effluents discharged by them within acceptable parameters.
But there is nothing in the UPPCB report to suggest a correlation between the incidence of cancer and groundwater contamination. "We have already got the groundwater in the area analysed for minerals, chemicals, pesticides and heavy metals. The report is clear and all these within permissible norms," said Praveen Kumar, regional officer, UPPCB. "This report has been filed with the NGT," he added.
The two units asked to shut have been accused of expanding their plants and production without consent from the UPPCB. "The seven industries found to be violating minor parameters have been served with a final notice and directed to bring effluents within parameters within five weeks," said Kumar. "After that, they will be inspected once again by the central and state boards."
An NGT bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar pronounced the judgment in the case on December 10, observing "people of these villages are being exposed to various environmental and health hazards as a result of the pollutants existing in the handpump, groundwater and air pollution". The tribunal also directed the authorities to build sewerage systems to avoid seepage of contaminated water into groundwater as well as guarantee access to potable water to residents so that they don't have to depend on borewells. Besides, it directed all factories in the region extracting groundwater to obtain permission from the Central Ground Water Authority by December 31.
The NGT also ordered that any industrial unit classified in the 'red category' - signifying high emissions - but operating without the UPPCB's consent must be shut. The tribunal based its ruling on a joint inspection report of the UPPCB and the Central Pollution Control Board, which noted there were at least 30 industries in the 'red category' in Chhapraula, 29 in the 'orange category' and 78 in the 'green category' all of which are part of a cluster. A senior UPPCB official, however, said all 'red category' units were operating with consent.
The NGT passed the orders on a petition by Yogesh Nagar, a resident of Gautam Budh Nagar.
"We welcome this order and the fact that NGT acted on our complaint. However, we believe that if NGT had imposed heavy fines on the polluting industries, it probably would have been more of a deterrent. Also, we are apprehensive about the implementation of the orders considering the past record of the district authorities," Nagar said.
District magistrate N P Singh has surveyed villages for installation of water plants. "We are in touch with a Bangalore-based NGO, run by an IITian from Kharagpur, who is willing to set up the plants to provide clean drinking water at Rs 5 for 20 litres," said Singh.