Environment Protection Department (EPD) Punjab issued notices to 110 polluter industrial units on Friday.

EPD sources said that six squads were constituted last week in view of increasing cases of environmental pollution which was causing health hazards.

The sources said industries were issued an environmental approval with certain conditions to enure that there was no negative impact on the environment and National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) were followed strictly.

At least 40 villagers undergo treatment. Panic spread among the residents of Maitapur area under the Simulia police station in Baleswar district after they began to experience an irritating smell of gas late on Saturday evening. The gas emanated from a neighbouring private pesticide manufacturing unit Krishi Rasayan. The unit near National Highway-5 on the border between Baleswat and Bhadrak has been functioning over the last two decades.

Pesticides manufacturer, Excel Crop Care, on Wednesday said that following the Supreme Court order to allow export of unused stock of endosulfan, the company would be able to ship 1,188 kilo litres of the chemical.

“The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, by an order passed on December 13, 2011, allowed export of 2698.05 kilo litres (KL) of existing stock of endosulfan formulation lying with the industry,” it said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).

The export is allowed subject to fulfilment of and compliance with specific conditions, it added.

M.P. Veerendrakumar, president the Socialist Janata (Democratic), has accused endosulfan manufacturers of resorting to corporate bullying by threatening legal action against four doctors of government medical college in Kozhikode for blaming endosulfan for the health problems in Kasaragod.

In a statement, Mr. Veerendrakumar, who was in forefront of the anti-cola stir in Plachimada, also urged the government to defend the doctors by getting impleaded in the case since what they said was based on a study that was conducted as part of their official responsibility.

The act of an endosulfan manufacturer in sending legal notices to four doctors for monitoring the impact of the pesticide on humans is an isolated attempt at persecuting these professionals, according to Mr M. P. Veerendrakumar, President, Socialist Janata (Democratic). These doctors — Dr C.