Pollution board notice to Hindalco MD, five others

Ranchi, April 13 (IANS) The Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board has issued a notice to the Hindalco managing director and five other officials in connection with an accident in which many people were said to be trapped in debris after a caustic pond of the company collapsed, an official said here on Saturday.

"We have issued a notice to the Hindalco MD and five staff working at the Muri plant. Hindalco has violated the set norms of environment," Rajeev Lochan Bakshi, Member Secretary of the board, told IANS. "If we don't get proper answer, the board will contemplate future course of action," he said.

The board has cancelled the 'consent to operate' of Hindalco and issued notice to two IITs -- Mumbai and Roorkee. Notices have been served to IITs, which had approved the design of the red mudwall.

A four-member technical committee has been set up to study the design and find out any deviation by Hindalco. The committee will include representative of Mecon and CMPDI, District Forest Officer (DFO) Ranchi and a forest department official.

Many people were trapped and swept away in the debris caused by collapse of caustic pond, which stored bauxite residue after extraction of aluminium, following a land cave-in at Muri, around 25 km from Ranchi.

According to an eyewitness, the heap caved in causing debris to spread rapidly, trapping many workers.

Hindalco was sealed in 2017 on an order of the pollution control board for not following the environment and safety rules. The company was restarted last year.

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