MPCB levels allegations of flouting pollution norms against Mercedes Benz Plant in Pune, then retracts; company responds

Pune, August 24, 2024: During a recent inspection, the chairman of Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) found the Mercedes Benz Assembly plan non compliant to pollution norms. The plant is located in Chakan, a highly industrialized suburb of Pune.

During an inspection on August 23, 2024, Siddhesh Kadam, Chairman of Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) found that the car manufacturing plant was not adhering to pollution control guidelines set by the MPCB.

MPCB said, “This is particularly troubling given Mercedes Benz’s esteemed position in the automotive industry. As a leader in automotive innovation, Mercedes Benz is expected to set an example in sustainable production practices.”

The board noted that the current non compliance identified was a concern and a deviation from what was expected. The Chairman has instructed MPCB’s regional officer to take immediate action to ensure that the Mercedes Benz assembly plant complies with all MPCB guidelines.

“We expect full cooperation from Mercedes Benz in addressing these issues promptly. At MPCB, we are committed to upholding high environmental standards and ensuring that all industrial activities within our jurisdiction adhere to pollution control regulations,” wrote MPCB in a release.

This will involve a comprehensive review of the plant’s operations and the implementation of necessary corrective measures, it stated.

Mercedes-Benz Reaction

Reacting to the development, Mercedes-Benz has issued an official statement saying that they have not received any written notice or formal request from MPCB describing the claimed violations.

Statement from Mercedes Benz

“Mercedes-Benz is in its 30th year of operations in India, with the state-of-art manufacturing facility in Chakan in its 15th year of operations, which is a benchmark in automotive manufacturing in India. The company sets high priority to adhere to the most stringent global standards in production quality, to uphold high environment and sustainability practices and to comply to mandatory regulations and requirements. We have not received any written notice or formal request from MPCB describing the claimed violations.  We are ready to cooperate with the authorities and present all the required processes and documentation, and take any corrective actions, if required.”

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) have since deleted the post on ‘X’ where they had claimed to have found Mercedes-Benz car assembly plant in Pune in violation of pollution norms. Check the snapshot of the original tweet by MPCB:

Now the act of MPCB has itself come under scrutiny and casting a doubt on genuineness of there report on Mercedes-Benz, especially given the fact they have deleted the post after levelling serious allegations against a reputed company.

The official ‘X’ handle of MPCB, @mpcb_official is akin to an official statement and must be used carefully.