The Appellate Tribunal of Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) has finally delivered its verdict and issued an order lifting the ban on all the 12 bulk drug units which were earlier banned by PCB for violating pollution control norms in the state.

Challenging the earlier ban order issued by the State Pollution Control Board, the managements of all the 12 bulk drug units had appealed to the Appellate Authority to review the ban order as all the bulk drug units in the state have installed zero process liquid discharger in house systems in their plants.

The tribunal in its order said that the decision of a ban and restriction on expansion of industries was against the statuary provisions under Section 2, Rule 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Adding further the Appellate Tribunal said that a situation has arisen seeking that they revise such orders contained in the earlier GO.

“Since there is much improvement in the environmental conditions after the industries implemented better pollution treatment techniques and the ministry of environment and forests has lifted the moratorium on the establishment of industries in the earlier notified industrial areas, imposing ban or restrictions on the industries through administrative orders is not justifiable as per the Apex Court,” read the order.

In fact the earlier closure order was based on ‘precautionary principles’ which was mandated in an interim order to prevent pollution and further damage in the case of industries that were flouting norms.

Based on the representations by the Bulk Drug Manufacturers Association (BDMA) and taking into account the orders passed by the ministry of environment and forests, the state government had finally agreed to lift the ban.

Earlier, the state Pollution Control Board had issued a ban order on July 9, 2012 based on the recommendations of Board’s task force committee which had reviewed the operations of certain bulk drug industries in the state.  In all 12 bulk drug manufacturing units 9 in Medak and 3 in Ranga Reddy districts were issued closure notices.

The bulk drug industries which faced the  PCB ire and now freed from the ban include  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 all from Medak district. The remaining 3 units from Ranga Reddy district include Sri Krishna Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Innogent Laboratories P Ltd., SMS Pharma Ltd., and Hetero Drugs Ltd., Unit –III.

“The Appellate tribunal’s order is a welcome decision. We are happy as the decision has come in industry’s favour which is paramount for the future growth and development of the bulk drug sector in the state” informed a source from BDMA.