The state pollution control board (PCB) on Wednesday prohibited the railway authorities from loading and unloading goods at Chitpur railway yard, off Calcutta station.

The directive, to be implemented immediately, was issued as “the railways had not complied with the state pollution control appellate authority’s recent order on countering pollution in the yard”. The authority is a quasi-judicial forum above the state PCB.

On October 21, the appellate authority, chaired by Justice Gitesh Ranjan Bhattacharjee, directed the PCB to pass a closure order if the railway yard authorities did not agree to adhere to pollution control norms in writing within seven days.

PCB sources said the railways had not submitted a “consent to operate” application.

“The pollution control board never asked for a ‘no objection certificate’ for loading and unloading. We have referred the matter to a higher authority for a policy guideline,” said P.N. Jha, the additional divisional railway manager (technical) of Eastern Railway.

The closure is likely to impact the local market as large quantities of sugar and onion are unloaded in the railway yard. About 500 labourers who work in the yard will also be affected.

In 2006, residents of neighbouring areas complained against the railways to the PCB stating that dust, smoke and noise caused by loading and unloading of goods in the railway yard were unbearable.

An expert appointed by the PCB had suggested measures to control pollution in the yard. They included solid waste management, maintenance of storm water drainage system, minimising noise during unloading of goods, suspension of work at night and arrangement of proper toilet facilities for labourers.