The action follows findings of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) after its environmental surveillance squad (ESS) made surprise raids under instructions from environment and forests minister Suresh Prabhu. The operations of these units would remain suspended until shortcomings detected in the effluent treatment plants are rectified, a ministry release said.

The Calcutta-based industrial unit of Hindustan Lever Ltd and Kesoram Industries have been ordered to close down and prohibited from operating dyeing and printing units after a joint finding of the CPCB and the West Bengal Pollution Control Board.

The CPCB has also issued instructions to the state pollution control boards that sugar industries which areyet to install requisite pollution control systems should not be permitted to operate.

Five sugar industries have also been issued instructions in this regard under section 5 of the Environment (protection) Act 1986. These are Travancore Sugar & Chemicals Ltd at Pallakad in Kerala, Shri Sant Eknath SSK Ltd at Aurangabad and the Jai Jawan Jai Kisan JKK Ltd at Sangli in Maharashtra and Jiwaji Sugar Mills at Mandsaur and Morena Mandan SSK Ltd at Morena in Madhya Pradesh.

Hind Agro Industries of Aligarh, which is a large slaughter and meat processing unit, has also been directed to stop production till the effluent plant is properly operated, while a report about the violations observed of the effluent standards in the case of Vam Organics Ltd in Gajraula has been submitted to the court.

Detailed investigation has been carried out by CPCB to ascertain the nature and extent of pollution caused by iron ore processing in the public sector Bailadila iron ore mines at Dantewada in Madhya Pradesh, while thepublic sector Paradeep Phosphate in Orissa has directed closure of its phosphoric acid plant for non-compliance of pollution control requirements.

Nine distillery units have been directed by CPCB to stop operations till requisite pollution control systems are installed. They are: Gujchem distillery (India) Ltd, Billimore, Gujarat; NCS Estate, AP; Dhar Distillery Ltd, MP; Kholapur Sugar Mills, (distillery unit), Maharashtra; OR Distilleries, AP; Punjab Khand Udyog Ltd, Punjab; Belganga SSK Ltd, Maharashtra; Travancore Sugar & Chemicals Ltd (distillery unit), Pallakkad, Kerala and Shree Bileshwar Khand Uydog (distillery unit), Amrali, Gujarat.

Owing to pollution caused by ash-laden slurry from the Bokaro thermal power station, Bihar, the Damodar Valley Corporation chairman was directed to close down one of the polluting units in the power station and submit monthly reports indicating the progress of installation of requisite pollution control systems. Similar action has also been taken in regard to 28thermal power stations and periodic reports are called upon to review the progress.

The power stations located at a distance of 1,000 kms or more from the mines, and those in polluted and sensitive areas have been directed to take necessary steps to use beneficiated coal with lower ash content to comply with the notification issued by the environment and forests ministry whereby such power plants will have to use coal with lower ash content latest by the year 2001.