Air Poisoning due to Ethanol Factory in Vijayawada

Context

Gandepalli village, Vijayawada is at the centre of concerns revolving around an ethanol factory, Sentini BioProducts Pvt. Ltd., since 2008. The members are among those who breathe contaminated air and water, have crops hit by diseases and their water bodies drying.

About the Factory, Sentini BioProducts Pvt. Ltd. and the Concern

• Sentini BioProducts Pvt. Ltd. works as a manufacturer of ethanol and animal feed additives, focusing on Percy Shire neutral alcohol (ENA). 
• The company is now a matter of great concern after the villagers of Gundepalli appealed against the harm it has caused. 
• Composing technological facilities such as ethanol plants, distilleries, and others in the ‘depiction of the red category’ by the central government, which indicates the peak pollution value induced by the industry, such as a SO2 concentration of more than 60 per litre. 
• The residents still endure the unprocessed waste water discharge from the plant into the irrigation canal even though they are forced to put a Zero Liquid Discharge system in place against their wishes. 
• Furthermore, the compound deprived residents of fresh and healthy oxygen in the air blamed for the foul odours whose cause of the air pollution is presently unknown. 
• Local people experience intensive damage to crops that predictably nickeluminates the soil from factory pollution; drops on farm productivity and less crops are being produced specifically in paddy fields over a decade. 
• Hence, the given concerns over the environment and health of the area underline a factory’s role to spoil the living standard of the neighbouring community.

Major Reason of Prolonged Concern

• The regulatory gaps which are depicted here are not very innocent. 
• Even though village people have been offered various chances to voice their complaints against the factory, and there have been the issuance of show-cause notices to that factory by the regulatory bodies like the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board since 2013, the authorities to control the pollution have not been able to achieve any success. 
• The Lokayukta inquiry laid bare both technical and procedural failures that regulatory authorities, such as the APPCB and the JD of Agriculture from Krishna district, had experienced in performing timely and corrective actions towards the environmental problems that were caused by the factory’s operational issues. 
• Also the factory is allowed to continue producing waste without anybody checking whether or not their factory is in compliance with the regulations. 
• The delay in taking action and the absence of enforcement of environmental regulations have made it possible for the factory to continue daily operations for a long time. 
• This deficiency in prompt intermittency has led to an expansion of the disaster and the communities being affected. 
• Hence, the impact of the environment and the well-being of these people is further prolonged.

Need of any Effective Measures

• The most effective action would be to have a comprehensive investigation. Such study has to shed light on the offtake of Sentini BioProducts Pvt. Ltd. by village Gandepalli impacts the environment. It should ascertain assessments of air and water quality, land contamination, if crop damage was from factory activities.
• The factory must try to achieve zero discharge of pollutants to the environment by using environmental regulatory measures. As such, such restrictions would be taking the necessary steps to stop the environment from being destroyed further and to protect human lives.
• Meaningful dialogue or communication between the factory management and the regulators and the local residents as well is paramount. Such a channel would offer the opportunity for the people to let out their worries, borrow from or tell their stories as well as participate in activities aimed at environmental regulation and pollution abatement.
• The urgent steps should be taken to counteract the environmental damage caused by the factory. Such measures include the cleaning of water sources that have been affected, soil remediation as well as payment of farmers who have been affected economically.

Conclusion and way forward

• From pollution to crop destruction and violating regulatory norms, the negative impacts of Sentini BioProducts Pvt. Ltd. in Gandepalli village need to be remedied without wasting any time. 
• Immediate actions include in-depth cause analysis, rigorous exploitation of environmental laws, bringing the community, and taking remedial actions to restore the environment and living standards development of the community.

Source: The Hindu

UPSC Mains Practice Question

Q.In recent years, there has been a growing concern about the environmental impact of industrial activities on rural communities in India. Analyse the challenges faced by regulatory bodies in addressing these concerns and suggest measures to ensure effective environmental governance.

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