Nashik Factories Cited for Groundwater Pollution

Nine industrial units in Nashik's Ambad industrial belt have been issued closure notices by the state pollution control board due to serious violations. These violations are suspected of causing groundwater contamination in Dattanagar, where residents reported polluted borewell water. The action followed a joint inspection prompted by high-level directives.

Officials found the nine units' effluent treatment plants to be non-functional or operating under suspicious conditions, leading to the disconnection of power and water. Preliminary inquiries suggest some factories may have discharged untreated industrial waste directly into wells or aquifers, contaminating groundwater.

Authorities are actively identifying electroplating and heavy-metal processing units suspected of this chemical discharge. Water samples have been collected from affected borewells, with reports pending. A meeting chaired by the Kumbh Mela commissioner reviewed the crackdown, with the collector directing the sealing of illegal borewells.

Local revenue and municipal corporation officials have begun sealing polluted borewells and providing water tankers and plastic water tanks to affected areas. The health department is also intensifying medical camps to screen residents for potential ailments linked to contaminated water exposure.