Lubricant unit closed for selling kaata tel

The state environment department has issued a notification asking a lubricant manufacturing unit in Ghola, North 24-Parganas, to shut down for selling adulterated lubricants (kaata tel) for use in vehicles. State environment department’s law officer Biswajit Mukherjee said that this was the first time that a lubricant manufacturing unit has been asked to close down for selling adulterated oil. The said unit Binayak Chemical will not be able to start operating without prior permission of the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB), the local civic authority and the state explosives department, until further orders. The North 24-Parganas district enforcement branch had submitted a report on May 15 this year and mentioned that Binayak Chemical located at Bodai Panchayat Road at Ghola, North 24-Parganas was actively involved in selling adulterated lubricants for use by vehicles, violating the order of the statutory authorities. If the unit fails to comply with the directives, its electricity connection should be snapped without any further reference. The environment department had issued a notification dated September 17, 2008, banning the use of adulterated fuel in vehicles. The order also prohibited the manufacture and processing of different lubricants as rampant use of this fuel was creating serious air pollution. (July 3, 2009)