Violation of pollution norms: Digboi Refinery served closure notice

GUWAHATI, February 13: The Pollution Control Board, Assam (PCBA) has served a closure notice on the Digboi Refinery of the Indian Oil Corporation for violating pollution norms, according to PCBA sources here. According to the PCBA, the digboi Refinery, the oldest refinery in the country, has been releasing pollutants beyond permissible limit and the effluents released by the refinery through the Mission Para Nullah are also not maintained well, while the Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) for treating the water to make it pollution free leaves much to be desired. The closure notice was served on the refinery yesterday following the refinery management's failure to respond to the warnings of the PCBA. Significantly, the refinery was warned as many as 14 times during the period September 9 to November 6, 2000. This was followed by a show cause notice served by the PCBA on 29 November, 2000. The refinery management's reply to the show cause was found unsatisfactory. Under the terms laid down by the PCBA in its closure notice, the refinery has been asked to stop release of effluent in any form forthwith, while it has to bring down the oil shurry to required level in the holding pond. Further, the refinery has been directed to remove the iron tank in the Effluent Treatment Plant area containing oil slurry to a safe place authorised by the PCBA. Moreover, the refinery has been asked to stop release of any type of pollutants into Mission Para Nullah, upgrade the ETP, stop release of any gas that produce bad smell.