Environmental Oversight Intensifies in Pune's Kurkumbh Industrial Area

Labour minister Aakash Fundkar ordered the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation and pollution control board to collect effluent samples in Pune's Kurkumbh industrial area following an explosion. MLA Rahul Kul raised concerns about the management of the Common Effluent Treatment Plant, prompting further inspections and improved compliance with safety regulations.

In response to environmental concerns and a recent incident, Labour Minister Aakash Fundkar directed the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation and pollution control board to collect effluent samples from Pune's Kurkumbh industrial area. Local gram panchayats are to assist in this sampling exercise to ensure comprehensive oversight of factory emissions.

At a meeting attended by key official figures including BJP MLA Rahul Kul, the minister called for a special task force to inspect the industrial zone thoroughly. This initiative comes after a budget session raised questions about the region's environmental management practices in light of a factory explosion.

MLA Kul expressed concerns over the operations of the Common Effluent Treatment Plant, which is run by polluting industries themselves. Concurrently, Minister Fundkar directed officials to collaborate with the industries department to enforce fire safety regulations effectively, underscoring the notion that the labor department's role excludes pollution control.

(With inputs from agencies.)