Tue Mar 04 13:52:24 UTC 2025: ## Five Edayar Industrial Units Defy Pollution Control Orders
**KOCHI, March 4, 2025** – Five bonemeal and rubber processing units in Kochi’s Edayar industrial area remain non-compliant with environmental regulations, despite closure notices issued by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB).
The PCB served notices to 21 units between April 2024 and January 2025 for violating the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Acts. Following inspections and rectifications by 15 units, further action against them was dropped. However, five units continue to operate outside the prescribed norms.
This non-compliance was highlighted in a February 24th report submitted by the PCB to the Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal regarding Periyar river pollution. The report follows recent protests by residents and activists concerned about worsening air quality due to unchecked pollutant emissions. The PCB has since initiated weekly review meetings to address the situation.
A September 2023 study by the CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) revealed malfunctioning biofilters in several Edayar units processing rubber, meat, and waste, exacerbating air pollution. Illegal discharge of untreated effluents into stormwater drains leading to the Periyar river also triggered action under the Water Act. The PCB is continuing its efforts to enforce compliance with environmental regulations.
First Piper 