Goa PCB issues show cause notice to Coke

| 26 April 1999 10:20 IST

The battle between the state authorities and the Coca Cola has now taken a serious turn with the Goa state pollution control board issuing a show cause notice to its newly installed plant for starting trial production without seeking board clearance.

After withholding consent to the Hindustan Coca Cola Bottling South West Pvt Ltd a fortnight ago, the team of high officials in its inspection report has established the fact that the multinational had started trial production of 20 per cent of its rated capacity from mid-March.

It appears that the world's number one multinational soft drink firm started the trial production without waiting for the consent of the pollution control board as the summer season is fast running out. With its rated capacity recorded at 36,000 crates per day, the Verna unit worth Rs 30 crore has been thus bottling 7200 crates every day.

The bone of contention however is non-completion of the tertiary treatment plant for further purifying half of the conventionally treated total waste water of 762 cubic metres. The inspection party has reportedly found out the plant would take at least two more months to put it into operation.

The board in the meantime has also told the soft drink multinational to submit a detailed plan of the four km long pipeline network the Coke has laid at the Verna industrial estate which would be used for using half of the treated water for gardening purpose. The remaining water would be utilised for cooling purpose.

The state authorities appear to have taken the violation of basic norms by the multinational quite seriously. While refusing to meet the company officials who flew down from Mumbai, the state chief secretary has now instructed the board officials to issue show cause notice to the company asking why trial production was started without seeking the board clearance.

The argument however made by the company is that the efficiency of the treatment plants could not be proved without having trial production. But that may not satisfy the pollution control board as 40 days have now passed for starting the trial production, which is also being sold in the market.

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