Pune: Cooperative milk federation Mahanand Rajya Sahakari Dudh Mahasangh Maryadit (Mahanand) has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that it has temporarily shut operations at its milk processing facility in Varvand village to upgrade its smoke exhaust equipment.The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has been appointed as Mahanand’s administrator for FY25 to FY29.Mahanand voluntarily suspended operations at its Varvand plant from July 15 and will keep the facility closed for two to three months while it installs an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) system to curb air pollution. The cooperative has undertaken to resume operations only after obtaining permission from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). In an affidavit filed on July 20, the MPCB confirmed that it had verified that the plant’s operations had been suspended.The tribunal disposed of the case on July 21, observing that nothing remains to be decided in the application following the undertaking given by Mahanand.PB Parmar, head of administration, estate and legal department at Mahanand, said the cooperative has initiated infrastructure upgrades to reduce emissions from the factory’s smoke stack.MPCB had issued a show-cause notice to the NDDB in Feb 2025 over air pollution caused by emissions from the processing unit’s exhaust stack.In April 2025, residents of Varvand village in Daund taluka protested outside the MPCB office in Pune, alleging inaction against excessive air pollution from the coal-operated milk processing plant.In Sept 2025, village residents approached the NGT, seeking directions to the NDDB to stop using coal as fuel at the plant.“The order will strengthen the efforts of citizens and environmental activists who are raising their voices against polluting industrial projects in Daund taluka,” said Sangram Divekar, a resident of Varvand.“Our primary concern, however, extends beyond the installation of an ESP system. Our fundamental demand is that a thorough inquiry be conducted into the legal and technical basis on which permission was granted to establish a coal-fired project within a populated area. We also seek an impartial investigation to fix accountability on the officials responsible for granting such approvals,” he added.
