New Delhi, May 10 (KNN) Lack of proper space to dispose the sludge, residual from industrial wastewater, is the root cause for closure of stainless steel pickling units in the Wazirpur area of the national capital, said the steel associations in the area, blaming the civic authorities for the problem.

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has ordered the closure of 112 stainless steel pickling units at the Wazirpur Industrial area with immediate effect after they were found releasing untreated acidic discharge into the sewers.

Talking to KNN after the closure order of the steel re-roller units in the Wazirpur Industrial Area of West Delhi, President of Stainless Steel Cutlery Association, Vijay Malik said that the Common Effluent Treatment Plant works properly here. The main problem that the units face is lack of proper storage and disposal of sludge, the remains after the treatment of the industrial waste.
 
Instead, the units are being blamed for the sludge, lying in the area. “After the units dump the sludge, residual from industrial wastewater, the civic authorities do not remove the same, leading to the problem of pollution in the sewerage system,” he said.
 
Highlighting the problems faced by the industrial units there, President of Delhi Stainless Steel Trade Federation, Jay Kumar Bansal said, “The civic authorities should have ensured proper disposal of sludge. The units are over dumped with the industrial waste after the waste water treatment in the Common Effluent Treatment Plant.”
 
Bansal said that not only the 112 steel units but also the 2500 other units which depend on the steel stainless steel pickling units directly or indirectly will be impacted leading to employment loss of lakhs of people.

“The closure will also have a social impact, like increase the crime rate. The labours who work in these units will not be left with any option than to rob or steal,” Bansal said.
 
Speaking about the impact of closure of the units, Malik said, “All the steel units in the area are interlinked to each other. The cutlery units buy steel sheets from the steel re-rollers. If these units are closed, the prices of the cutlery will also increase and we will have to depend on China for our imports.”
 
He also said that these units supply raw material to other states as well, “The dependency of imports from China will increase and hit the domestic market badly.”
 
Malik also pointed out the indirect job loss because of the shut down along with the direct employment loss of at least 30 – 40 workers in each unit.
 
“There are many people like polishers who depend completely on us. If we stop making steel utensils around one lakh polishers will be affected,” he said.
 
Malik also said that the steel unit owners who have got the closure notice will be hit financially leading to difficulty in repayment of loans. “The units will be closed, there would be no income, and loan repayment will become difficult, even the machineries that they have, for which they might have taken loans, will be sold at negligible prices. The industry will badly suffer due to this.”
 
The President of Stainless Steel Cutlery Association said that the government does not even give them an alternate space to put up their units.
 
DPCC has ordered Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) and Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to cut power and water supply to the 112 units with immediate effect, while also directing the North Municipal Corporation (NDMC) to cancel their factory licence. The sub-divisional magistrate has been directed to seal the unit. (KNN/SD)