Official sources said 14 textile dyeing and printing units were issued closure notice for violating the air pollution norms and the rest for violating water pollution norms over a period of last one-and-a-half-month. None of the mill owners has given an undertaking or explanation report to the GPCB so far.

Sources said most of the textile dyeing and printing units were using fine-dust, petcoke, waste material and other highly hazardous material as fuel for their heavy duty boilers. This was releasing hazardous chemicals into the air and creating health problems for the people in the villages located near the units.

Regional director, GPCB, G V Patel told TOI, "We were surprised to know the kinds of material being used in the textile dyeing units as fuel. They are violating the air and water pollution norms, thus spreading health hazards in and around the city."

According to Patel, many units were found to be using petcoke illegally. In the recent past, only 21 dyeing and printing units in Surat were given permission for using petcoke on a trial basis.

Industry sources said around 70 dyeing and printing units, most of them issued closure units by the GPCB, have closed down permanently in the past one-and-a-half year.

The reason is the phenomenal increase in the price of natural gas supplied to the industrial units.

"The dyeing and printing units have no other option, but to depend on other fuel sources to keep their factories operational. We are totally against those unit owners using illegal fuel, but the government must think of reducing the natural gas prices," an office-bearer of South Gujarat Textile Processor Association said.