Pune: Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) issued a show-cause notice on Tuesday to NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar-linked Baramati Agro Sugar and Distillery unit in Indapur tehsil for failing to comply with norms on air and water pollution.Shetphalgade villagers Sagar Wabale and Chagan Wabale sent the complaint to the board after which a team inspected the plant on July 3 and a show-cause notice was issued to the unit.MPCB officials said the unit must provide adequate pollution control devices and comply with the consent conditions to maintain the standard prescribed by the board.The notice says the unit has stored blackish untreated wastewater generated from the sugar factory. The effluent is percolating into the irrigation canal and the factory has not provided proper pipelines and an effluent conveyance system.MPCB has given seven days to the factory to respond to the notice and to not operate the unit without consent from the board.The BJP has demanded strong action against the unit. Vaibhav Solankar, Pune district unit chief of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha said the factory has been releasing untreated water into the canal which is percolating into nearby wells. “We have demanded a detailed check of the residents from four to five villages to find out the effects on their health. The factory must not function until it complies with the MPCB norms,” he added.When contacted, Rohit Pawar said they received the notice. Speaking to TOI, he said, “BJP functionaries pressure the officials to issue such notices to those who raise their voice in the opposition. I will respond to the notice in due course.”
