New Delhi: Dissatisfied with the report submitted to it, National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed a joint inspection team constituted to check industries in Ghaziabad which were allegedly causing air and water pollution to file it afresh with all information sought by it.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar found the report "totally silent" and pulled up the counsel for JIT for taking different stands in the report and before the court.
"Counsel appearing for the Joint Inspection Team has submitted a report. We have no hesitation in observing that this report is not in consonance with our order dated April 17, 2013. Let appropriate and complete report be filed before us before the next date of hearing positively.
"The report shall be supported by analyst report in relation to each unit. The recommendations made in the report should be reasoned and clearly state whether any of the industry is causing any air, noise or water pollution and is violating any of the prescribed norms," it said.
On April 17, the NGT had directed the JIT of various authorities in Uttar Pradesh, including state pollution control board, to inspect the industries and submit a report regarding site inspection, working of the plant, functioning of the treatment plant as well as the analyst reports.
During the proceedings yesterday, the bench expressed its displeasure with the counsel appearing for the JIT.
"Don`t do this. Saying one thing in your report and another here. There is not a word in your entire report about the shortcomings of the industries you have inspected, but you give long speeches here. The report is totally silent," it said.
The bench had also warned JIT`s counsel that "if these units are made to suffer because of your reports, we will impose exemplary costs on you".
The NGT was hearing the applications filed by over 200 industries against its January 17 order directing closure of all polluting industries in Ghaziabad.
The Tribunal`s January 17 order had been passed on the plea of Ghaziabad resident Rajiv Narayan, who had alleged that rapid development of industries there had resulted in acute air and water pollution causing severe health problems to the city`s residents.
The Tribunal has directed the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) to inform it about the consumption of ground water, if any, by the industries and whether meters are installed in their premises and if cess is charged from them.
UPPCB has also been directed to inform the NGT what is the impact of water consumption by the industries on the ground water levels there.
Meanwhile, the JIT has also been directed to inform the tribunal of the source of electricity of the industries when normal power is not available to them and whether they have installed any by-pass systems to circumvent the effluent treatment plants.
All the applications by the 200 plus industries have been listed in batches and will be heard on July 2, 3, 4 and 5.
Narayan in his plea had also alleged that the acute air and water pollution in Ghaziabad is being caused by the discharge of effluents of industries as well as due to lack of proper municipal waste disposal system.
PTI
