Over 4000 polluting industries to be closed in Delhi

NEW DELHI: To shut the pollution causing industries operating in residential units in the National Capital, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the Government of Delhi to issue closure notices to over 4000 such industrial units.

The NGT bench headed by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, NGT Chairperson, gave the directions after a report filed by an NGT appointed committee which said that show-cause notices have been sent to 4774 industrial units operating in residential areas.

The NGT bench, following the submissions, said that the show-cause notices were not to be issued to the 4774 polluting units rather the units should have been closed straightaway.

The bench said, “Let all such units which have been illegally restarted be closed forthwith in terms of order of the Supreme Court without any further procedure of show-cause notice and coercive measures in terms of recovery of compensation for illegal operation of such units be adopted in accordance with law, apart from initiation of prosecution.”

Failure of getting such units shut will be considered seriously and coercive action will be taken against the municipal commissioner of the concerned municipal corporations including stoppage of salary, the bench added.

The NGT had earlier formed a committee to consider the matter over 52000 industrial units operating illegally in the residential areas of the city. The committee was headed by Pratibha Rani, Former Delhi High Court Judge.