Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Technopark gets Pollution Control Board notice

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has issued notice to the Technopark management, directing it to take immediate measures for safe disposal of sewerage and e-waste and tackle the pollution caused by the operation of power generators on the campus.

The notice issued by KSPCB chairman G. Rajmohan directed the Technopark to take urgent steps to address the issues, in view of the potential health hazard for thousands of employees on the campus. It says the IT Park is bound to abide by the pollution control laws. “It is up to the management to convince the Pollution Control Board that the companies were operating in an environment- friendly manner,” it said.

The notice also reminded the park management that the IT sector is not exempted from the pollution control laws including the Central Environment (Protection) Act 1986, Water (Pollution Control) Act 1974 and Air (Pollution Control) Act 1981. “Even government departments come under the ambit of the PCB’s monitoring system. Department heads are liable to be prosecuted if they fail to ensure adherence to pollution control laws,” the letter said.

The notice stated that all the units on the campus were bound to abide by the laws and subject themselves to inspection by PCB authorities.

PCB Member Secretary Jayaprasad said the notice was issued after the due formalities. “The Technopark management has not taken the mandatory clearance from PCB, the enforcement agency for pollution control in the State. The companies on the campus are bound to abide by all the pollution control laws and secure operational clearance from us,” he said.

Mr. Jayaprasad said PCB officials who inspected the campus had found that the septic tanks were overflowing and contaminating the environment. “The sewerage system is too inadequate for a campus with over 12000 employees.

When contacted, Technopark Chief Executive Officer (CEO) R.K. Nair said the campus was equipped with a sewage treatment facility. “The raw sewage is recycled and used for irrigation on the premises. We are in the process of enhancing the capacity of the existing treatment plant,” he said.

Mr. Jayaprasad said the existing system was found to be grossly inadequate. “If there is a treatment plant, it is not functioning properly.” He said the KSPCB had not received a satisfactory response to its inquiry about the system for disposal of e-waste such as computers and peripherals. According to the guidelines issued by the Central Pollution Control Board, collection and disposal of e-waste is not to be entrusted to local scrap dealers. It is a job meant for specialised agencies that can safely handle the heavy metals and other hazardous substances contained in computer equipment without contaminating the environment.

“The guidelines mandate a tendering process and a fully accounted mechanism for disposal. But the Technopark management is yet to provide us with a satisfactory answer about the system adopted by it,” Mr. Jayaprasad said.

Mr. Nair, however, said the individual companies on the campus had made arrangements for safe disposal of e- waste. We are in the process of collecting the information from each firm, he added.

The KSPCB has also asked Technopark to provide information about the steps taken to contain the sound and air pollution caused by power generators. “The rules specify that the units are to be housed in acoustic enclosures and equipped with stacks of sufficient height. It is not enough that the equipment is certified by the manufacturer, it has to be subjected to verification,” said Mr. Jayaprasad.

Asked about the notice issued by PCB, Mr. Nair said the issues raised would have to be examined in detail.

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