Chennai, May 10: Claming that the overall picture of the ambient air quality in the Sipcot area in Cuddalore with respect to "criteria pollutants" was satisfactory, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) today said industries were presently storing hazardous wastes generated within their premises in a "safe and secured place".

Reacting to the study report released by an NGO, Sipcot Area Community Environmental Monitors (Sacem), a TNPCB release said it had already directed the industries to create a secured facility for the disposal of hazardous wastes.

It said there were no standards for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and TNPCB was "pursuing" the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) norms for setting VOC standards.

Based on the recommendations of the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee (SCMC), the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Mumbai has been asked to conduct a scientific study on the presence of VOCs in the ambient air around the Sipcot, at a project cost of Rs 20.15 lakh, it said.

TNPCB would welcome workable suggestions from the NGOs to ensure the absence of 'fugitive' emissions or any emissions and the scientific disposal of hazardous wastes, but "criticism for the sake of criticism is of no use to the given situation," it said.

The reaction comes in the wake of a study released by Sacem yesterday which claimed that air over Cuddalore Chemical Industries estate was "unfit to breathe" due to toxic gases being released in the air.

(Our Correspondent)