MPCB ​​sends notice to Mercedes-Benz for violating environmental norms at Chakan plant

The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has issued a show-cause notice to Mercedes-Benz for allegedly failing to comply with environmental regulations at its Chakan plant, officials from the pollution watchdog said.

The notice, which HT has reviewed, was served on Friday, almost a month after MPCB chairman Siddhesh Kadam visited the plant. The delay between inspection and action has raised questions, especially after the board deleted critical social media posts after the visit, drawing criticism from Opposition leaders.

The notice highlighted numerous violations of environmental norms, focusing on the plant’s failure to comply with key pollution control measures. The reported issues included the discharge of untreated and partially treated sewage, air emissions and failure to upgrade equipment necessary for proper waste treatment. The MPCB has given the luxury carmaker 15 days to respond. Failure to comply will result in legal action under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.

In a statement, Mercedes-Benz India confirmed receipt of the communication from the MPCB. “We have received the communication from the MPCB after three weeks, today. We will review it and respond as requested and cooperate with the authorities.”

JS Salunkhe, district officer at MPCB Pune, confirmed the issuance of the notice, saying it came after inspections of the plant on August 23 and September 4. “It was noticed that you have failed to comply with the conditions stipulated in the consent granted by the Board, thereby discharging untreated and partially treated sewage and air emissions into the environment, causing pollution,” Salunkhe said.

According to MPCB officials, one of the critical issues found during the inspection was that the settling tanks and centrifuges at the sewage treatment plant (ETP) were not functioning.

In addition, the required multi-function evaporator (MEE) and agitated thin film dryer (ATFD) for treating reverse osmosis (RO) waste were not installed in the allotted time.

Opposition leaders had previously criticized the MPCB’s handling of the matter, questioning the transparency of the process. After the August 23 inspection, the board posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the Mercedes-Benz plant in Chakan had been found to be “not following established pollution control guidelines.” The posts were later deleted, fueling speculation about the board’s decision to remove them.

When contacted, MPCB chairman Siddhesh Kadam seemed unaware of the notification. He said, “I am not aware of the notification served on Mercedes-Benz and will check with the concerned regional office.”