Chandigarh: The management of the Malbros liquor manufacturing factory at Zira has not informed the Punjab Pollution Control Board that it also produces and markets chemicals that could pose a serious threat to human and animal life, besides irreversibly contaminating the soil and underground water.

Malbros, is now found to be producing highly toxic and poisonous Silver Potassium Cyanide, Fesoterodine, and Monoethano. If these chemicals enter into the sub-soil and underground water they could lead to various incurable diseases like cancer, liver failure, cardiac problems and allergies of different types, according to scientists.

All industrial units are required to take permission from the state pollution control board for the specific products that they intend to manufacture and can go ahead with the project only after this permission is granted.

The website of Malbros International Pvt Limited boldly displays the names of five chemicals – see screenshots – that it deals in, besides two other less harmful chemicals Sodium Sulphate, and Sodium Chloride. The website seeks orders from prospective buyers all over the world.

When contacted, Adarsh Pal Vig, Chairman of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) said that he had no information about the chemicals produced by the Malbros unit situated at Mansoorwal village in Zira tehsil of Ferozepur district.

When informed that the information about the production and sale of the dangerous chemicals could be seen at www.exportersindia.com/malbros-international-pvt-ltd/about-us-htm, he replied, “the Malbros management did not take any permission from us for the manufacture of these chemicals.”

“Since you have brought new information to my notice, I have asked my field officers to submit a report after verifying the facts,” he told this reporter.

The Malbros factory had run into a major controversy earlier as the local villagers alleged that the drinking water in the area was contaminated due to the release of effluents in the underground water by the liquor unit. It was also alleged that people in adjoining villages were falling sick and there had been several instances of livestock deaths in the area.

PPCB Chairman Vig said that the pollution investigating committee formed under the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) took water samples from three places, and they were tested at three reputable labs. The test reports were sent to the government. We would further investigate the matter if the government asks us to do so, he added.

However, Canada-based soil and underground water scientist, Harman Singh Dhandli, after studying the test reports of the government authorities, explained that the pollution tests conducted were inadequate. There was a need to test for Ethanol and Methanol and their penetration into the soil. But these did not figure in the PPCB reports, he explained.

Dhandli also found out from satellite imagery that the drain along the factory was filled with some coloured water that needed to be tested if it was being released by the factory.

Interestingly, after the PPCB pollution test report gave Malbros a clean chit, a division of Punjab and Haryana High Court passed orders in favour of the liquor manufacturer. The bench directed the Punjab government to pay Rs 20 crore to Malbros – during two separate hearings – as its factory remained non-operational for over three months due to the dharna of Sanjha Sangharsh Morcha.

It was claimed by the Malbros management before the High Court that it had suffered a loss of Rs 13.73 crore as some protesters forcibly stopped its “lawful operations” alleging a violation of environmental norms. “This was despite the fact that the unit was found to be complying with all the pollution laws and other requirements,” Puneet Bali, counsel for Malbros said.

Moreover, the management told the High Court that it had all the required environmental approvals from competent authorities and the state failed to “ensure the rule of law and was giving leverage to the protesters.”

Further, the NGT’s monitoring committee carried out the investigation as per the demand of the protesters, and the committee did not find any effluent and polluting emissions being discharged by the factory, Puneet Bali, counsel for Malbros told the High Court.

Punjab Advocate General (AG) Vinod Ghai did not dispute the findings of the investigating committee formed by the NGT, consequentially the High Court penalised the Punjab government and ordered payment of a total of Rs 20 crore to Malbros management.

Pawan Bansal, CEO of Malbros, was asked on December 15 to respond to a 9-point questionnaire sent by this reporter seeking answers to pollution-related issues of the factory, but he did not respond. He did not reply to a reminder sent on December 16th either. Several calls were made to him, but he stopped taking calls after the first one was made to inform him that the queries had been sent to his WhatsApp account. A request was made to give an official response at the earliest, but in vain.

Bansal was asked whether Malbros was producing three toxic and poisonous chemicals. What was the nature and methodology of pollution tests carried out earlier? What was the capacity of the waste treatment plant? What was the classification of the by-products? What raw materials were being used for the fermentation process? And who was releasing wastewater in the Mansoorwal village drain?

Dr Harinder Singh Zira, who is closely connected to the protesters, said that it was shocking to know about Malbros’s dealing with dangerous chemicals that had not come to light earlier though the factory was functioning for the last several years.

Malbros is owned by Akali Dal ex-MLA Deep Malhotra who was raided by the Enforcement Directorate in October this year for his alleged involvement in the Delhi excise policy scam of the Kejriwal government.

Also read:  Is the liquor scam the beginning of the end of Kejriwal?