Gas leak in Maharashtra sugar factory: NGT directs IIT-Mumbai to conduct study on damage to soil

The National Green Tribunal has directed the IIT-Mumbai to conduct a study within three months on damage to the soil caused due to methane gas leak in a sugar factory in Maharashtra's Solapur district.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said the report of the IIT may be submitted to the Chairman of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board.

The NGT also directed a six member expert committee, formed by it, to look into the monitoring of ground water in context of leaching of spent wash (residual liquid waste generated during alcohol production).

"On that basis, recommendations be made to ensure that contaminated water does not affect other wells of public use. The Chairman State PCB may, based on the final report of the Committee and the study report to be submitted by IIT Mumbai, ensure further remedial action," the bench said in its recent order.

Compliance will be treated as a consent condition for functioning of the factory except that if it is aggrieved by final report or study report, it will be open to it to file objections before this tribunal, it said.

The interim report and the final report may also be placed on the website of the CPCB for six months so that the same can be accessed by the concerned stakeholders, the tribunal said.

Two workers were killed and eight others taken ill or injured after a methane gas tank fell from the structure holding it, leading to gas leakage at a sugar mill in Solapur district.

The incident took place on the premises of Lokenete Bapurao Patil Agro Industries Ltd, which has a sugar factory and distillery located in Mohol taluka of Solapur district.

The NGT initiated the proceedings in this matter on the basis of media report of deaths and injuries on account of methane gas leak in a sugar factory called Lokenete Bapurao Patil Agro Industries Ltd. in Mohol Taluka of Solapur District, Maharashtra on November 21, 2020.