The United Breweries Limited (UBL) brewery at Nelamangala on Tumkur Road has been running without an environment clearance, according to the findings of an official study that was meant to look at the working of the State Environment Clearance Committee (SECC).
United Breweries purchased the brewery from Karnataka Breweries and Distilleries Ltd (KBDL) in 2006, and affected a change in name in 2008. It is a comprehensive brewing and bottling facility, and the product is the Kingfisher brand of beers. "The original company M/s Karnataka Breweries was accorded environmental clearance by SECC on 28th August 2007 (vide No.FEE 161 ECO 2007). This has since expired and has not been renewed, a fact confirmed by company officials," the study report has said.
The revelations of the study, conducted by autonomous body Environmental Management and Policy Research Institute (EMPRI), was submitted to the state government, but has been held back from the public on the ground that since the SECC had itself been abolished in February this year, the study had lost its significance.
According to the EMPRI study, "The facility produces Kingfisher beer through fermentation process using a selective blend of malt, barley, rice, maize flakes and hops. Potassium bisulphate is added to the beer. The facility has a beer-testing laboratory that checks the quality and other parameters of the beer. The facility is categorised as Biohazard Level 2."
That is not all. The study report mentioned, "Company officials shared that there has been no inspection post-clearance by SECC officials, while there are regular inspections from department of factories and boilers (annual) and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB)." The study, overall, has identified innumerable gaps and lapses on part of the SECC in monitoring and regulating, besides the clearance process itself.
In a statement emailed to this correspondent, UBL sources denied the allegations, "All required clearances and licenses have been taken. UBL is accountable to the ultimate governing body of the state - KSPCB. As per KSPCB, only distilleries are required to do the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and take environmental clearance."
The sources contended, "KBDL (the original owner) was required to take environmental clearances as they operated both the distillery and the brewery. Only the brewery was taken over by UBL and this does not fall in the purview of industries required to take environmental clearance. Breweries take all environment related clearance from the state pollution control board only and the same is renewed every year."
A member of the team that carried out the study, however, said the UBL claim did not hold water. Even breweries which are as polluting, if not more, need clearances, he asserted.
This is because, according to the EMPRI study, "The brewing industry is an energy and water intensive sector. The production of beer involves the blending of the extracts of malt/barley/rice husk/corn, hops and sugar with water, followed by its subsequent fermentation with yeast. Large quantities of water are used in different stages of the production process such as for washing, cleaning and sterilising of various units after each batch are completed. A large amount of this water is discharged. Beer production often requires 7-10 litres of water for every litre of beer and its key ingredients are often difficult to obtain through organic means."
In the introduction to the section on 'sugar, distillery, brewery and cogeneration industry', the study remarked, "Intense water usage may be the number one environmental impact of brewing. The brewing process is energy intensive, especially in the brew house, where mashing and wort boiling are the main heat-consuming processes with high fuel consumption. The entire process produces various waste products: solid wastes, gaseous emissions (greenhouse gases), acidifying emissions and large amounts of wastewater with very high BOD and COD rates."
