Leading textile units mainly, Winsome Textiles, Auro Textiles, Auro Dyeing and Auro Textile-II in the Baddi industrial area in Himachal Pradesh have been directed to close their dyeing processes as their effluents have rendered the common effluent treatment plant (CETP) defunct. Three textile units have been levied environmental compensation from July 2020 to December 2020 (160 days), while Auro Textiles has been levied for 140 days. For violating the provisions of the Water Act, 1974, and Environmental Protection Act, 1981, an environmental compensation worth Rs 1.86 crore has been imposed on them by the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB).

This issue was under process from last year as an inspection committee of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had observed in November 2019 that these textile units engaged in dyeing processes generate category-IV effluents comprising concentrated dyes.

While the government had directed the textile units to chalk out action plans and install their own treatment system to treat these effluents and follow inlet and treatment quality standards the textile units had challenged the order in the high court. However, the court has disposed their petitions and directed the State Government to take appropriate directions as per law against the polluting units while observing that no industry can be allowed to pollute water bodies.