Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) has ordered immediate closure of two manufacturing units of Amara Raja Batteries Ltd (ARBL) located in the southern state.
In a stock exchange filing, ARBL said that it has received closure orders dated April 30, 2021, from APPCB for the company’s plants located at Karkambadi and Nunegundlapalli, both in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, with immediate effect.
Contingency plans
ARBL said that it was taking all necessary steps to comply with the orders given by APPCB and also has pressed into action its contingency plans to avoid dislocation in supplies of batteries to its customers across product segments including essential service segments like defence, hospitals and telecom.
“The company is examining all options and preparing for all possible recourse that are available for the organisation, to ensure that interests of society at large, customers, suppliers, partners and all employees are protected,” ARBL said.
Efforts to continue
ARBL also said that it would continue to make efforts to engage with APPCB authorities in the interest of avoiding a dislocation in supplies to some of its largest clients in sensitive sectors. At a time of a national emergency in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic, such a dislocation could be calamitous.
Highest compliance
“All our manufacturing plants have undergone various annual/bi-annual environmental audits and certifications over many years and have received several awards for safety and environmental sustainability and have adhered to the highest norms of environment, health, safety. Our choices have always been guided by a commitment to society that are socially and environmentally responsible,” a spokesperson of ARBL said.
Hopeful of Resolution
ARBL has earlier made representations to state pollution control board officials on various environmental control measures that are deployed in line with industry standards, regulatory requirements and the improvement actions being initiated. The company is hopeful of a satisfactory resolution which is in the interest of all stakeholders, the release added.
(Featured photograph showing a manufacturing facility of ARBL is for illustration only)
