Enraged over the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board's (APPCB) closure orders on the 12 bulk drug manufacturing units in the state, the bulk drug manufacturing association in Andhra Pradesh is planning to appeal to the appellate authority against PCB’s orders.

Sources from the Bulk drug manufacturing Association of AP said, “We are taking a serious note of PCB’s orders. Very soon we will collectively appeal to the Appellate Authority against the PCB’s orders. We will also have a meeting with the PCB task force and to find a solution to the problem. During earlier occasions also we have been asked to furnish bank guarantees to ensure not to violate norms.”

“Almost all the bulk drug units in the state have installed zero process liquid discharger in house systems in their plants. We have given letters to PCB regarding expansions and additional productions and have ensured no additional discharge of liquid effluents as directed by the appellate authority earlier. We have already represented our position to the PCB two months back. But they have not responded to our letters and now they have come out all of a sudden with closure notices. This is total injustice on the part of PCB,” said K V RangaRao, ex-president of Bulk Drugs Manufacturers Association (BDMA).

Another official from Industry said, “When there is no liquid discharged, there is no scope for creating water pollution. The solid waste generated are being sent to cement plants for disposal as it can be used there as fuel as it has high calorific value. No hazardous waste is being dumped in an unscientific way. Regarding the un-consented products, business exigencies demand quick manufacturing while APPCB’s procedure is not only time-consuming and complicated, but also full of unnecessary hurdles. We cannot wait for long for their consent. It is hurting the production and in turn we are losing the market and loss revenue.”

The industry sources believe that it is a regular practice by the PCB to issue closure orders for some days and again after two or three months they will open them. “It has become a habit by the PCB authorities to suck money from the Industries and if they are denied they will send temporary closure notices without verifying the ground realities” said another source from Industry.

Individual companies like Hetero Labs and Aurobindo Pharma are also planning to appeal against PCB’s closure orders to AP pollution control Appellate authority.  

Earlier on July 9, 2012, the APPCB had reviewed the operations of certain bulk drug industries before the Board’s task force committee and had come to a conclusion that about 12 bulk drug manufacturing units in Medak and Ranaga Reddy districts have been violating not only the directions issued by the board from time to time but have also been violating ban orders of government of AP and the supreme court issued earlier.

In view of this, the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board had issued closure orders on July 10, 2012 to all the 12 Bulk Drug manufacturers located in Medak & Ranga Reddy districts for violating Water & Air Acts and going against the interest of public health and environment protection.

The list of units issued closure orders include nine industries from Medak district and 3 units from Ranga Reddy district. The bulk drug industries violating PCB orders from Medak are,  Aurobindo Pharma Ltd., Unit-IX (formerly known as Ranit Pharma Ltd., Unit-III),  Hetero Labs Ltd., Cirex Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Covalent Laboratories (P) Ltd., Aurobindo Pharma Ltd., Unit-I,  Divis Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Hetero Drugs Ltd., Unit-1, Hetero Drugs Ltd., Unit-4.

The remaining 3 units which have received closure orders from Ranga Reddy district include Sri Krishna Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Innogent Laboratories P Ltd., SMS Pharma Ltd., and Hetero Drugs Ltd., Unit –III.