Coimbatore: Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has ordered closure and directed the revenue department to seize machines from an illegal private charcoal unit near Palladam.

The unit was functioning despite closure orders from the TNPCB due to non-renewal of licence by the company.

The charcoal manufacturing unit had been functioning for the past few years. Last year, the TNPCB came to know that the unit had not renewed its licence. It recommended to the district monitoring committee chaired by the
Collector that power supply to the unit be cut, a TNPCB official said.

“As directed, Tangedco cut the electricity but we came to know that the unit has started operation without electricity. Its management managed to run the unit and produce charcoal. When we checked, we found that its emission was above permissible levels too. So, we recommended to our head office in Chennai to seize its machines and stop the illegal operation,” he said.

Following this, head office issued an order to seize the machines which could be done by the revenue department to which it had been, forwarded, he added.