Kolkata, Aug 08: In the second instance after Plachimada in Kerala, toxic metals above the hazardous level in the effluents from cola plants have been found by the West Bengal pollution control board while Calcutta High Court admitted a PIL appealing for ban on all soft drinks found to contain pesticides. The state PCB discovered that Cadmium levels in the effluent of at least two of the plants at Taratala in the metropolis and one in Dankuni in Hoogly district were above the hazardous level of 50 mg per kg, West Bengal Environment Minister Manab Mukherjee said. The PCB collected sludge from six coca-cola and pepsi cola bottling plants in the state for testing. This was the second instance of detection of Cadmium in the sludge from coca-cola's plant after being found in the company's plant in Plachimada in Kerala's Palghat district.
Mukherjee said that the PCB has also found lead, another toxic metal, above permissible limits in the liquid effluents of coca-cola's Dankuni plant.
The West Bengal government, he said, has asked both the MNCs to explain the process of production which led to sludge containing a high level of cadmium.
The development took place barely two days after a country-wide panic following detection of pesticides by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in at least 12 soft drink brands produced by these MNCs.
Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court today admitted a PIL by an environmentalists praying for direction to ban all soft drink brands in which pesticides were found in CSE tests.
Bureau Report