The Supreme Court has allowed five weeks time to the bulk drug units to fulfil the procedural requirements related to the compliance of the mandatory environmental clearance (EC) from the state pollution control boards. The time was granted while hearing an appeal filed by the Bulk Drugs Manufacturers Association (BDMA) against an earlier SC directive to government to order closure of units that have not received the EC certificates.

The BDMA had appealed for more time as about 100 bulk pharmaceutical units in Andhra Pradesh were facing closure threats in the wake of the SC order. The association had argued that majority of these companies, barring seven, had complied with all pollution control requirements and was just to finish the procedural requirements / paper works. "All these companies have already installed the effluent treatment plants and anti-pollution facilities in their units. The SC order would have put the genuine companies in trouble as they had complied with all the requirements of the environment ministry on the pollution control front and was just to clear the paper works," a BDMA functionary said.

The association pointed out that they had earlier convinced the units who have not set up effluent treatment plants to shut down and set up the facilities. Thus seven units got closed down. " They are in the process of upgrading their systems and will apply for environment clearance once the works are over. We had approached the SC saying that all the units which had not complied with the mandatory requirements, have closed down and sought more time for the other units who were just waiting to clear the paper works," BDMA sources informed.

The SC order to close down the non-compliant units was in response to a Public Interest Litigation Petition filed in the Supreme Court by Goa Foundation seeking the closure of units which have not got EC so far. The SC had recently asked the ministry of environment & forests for closure of such industries.

BDMA sources said that the units would be able to complete all procedural requirements within the time allotted by the SC. The SC directive came three days ago.