Bangalore, November 29, 2008

No connection between the quality of ground water in the area and the Biocon facility

Biocon operates with all necessary consents from the Pollution Control Board in Karnataka

Biocon denies the allegations made by the Hebbagodi Grama Panchayat and Nagarika Hitharakshana Vedike recently that Biocon’s operations are polluting the ground water in the vicinity which has led to the quality of water not being potable.

There is no connection between the quality of ground water in the area and the Biocon facility The quality of ground water seems to be a general problem all over Bangalore and especially its outskirts, with depleting ground water levels. We surmise that the issue at Hebbagodi is no different and it certainly cannot be attributed to Biocon. The acute water shortage in Bangalore and attempt to get the attention of the concerned government authorities has spurred communities in the area to launch this vindictive campaign against the company.

We have a state-of-the-art effluent treatment system wherein all effluent is initially treated by biological methods (anaerobic, aerobic, clarification) and the treated effluent is then recycled through multiple stages of reverse osmosis. The final rejects from the reverse osmosis systems are evaporated in a multiple effect evaporator. No effluent is discharged on our site or let out into the neighbourhood. All our effluent treatment systems operate with the necessary consents from the regulatory authorities.

It has also been alleged that Biocon’s operations emit a foul odour in the neighbourhood.

The odour emitted earlier was in the immediate vicinity of Biocon’s ETP operations. Biocon has taken adequate measures to reduce the odour to the minimum level possible. It is now at levels that can normally be expected in any ETP operations, globally.

Biocon has and continues to make significant investments in its effluent treatment and odour control systems having made substantial cumulative investments of about Rs 70 crores.