National Green Tribunal (NGT) fined the Delhi government Rs 50 crore on Tuesday for not taking action against steel pickling units in residential areas as they fall under the prohibited list of industrial activity.A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel rapped the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for not closing the industrial units despite its specific directions.
The order came on a plea filed by an NGO, the All India Lokadhikar Sangthan, seeking the execution of its order by which the green panel had directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to take action against stainless steel pickling industries in residential areas as they fall under the prohibited list of industrial activity as per the Delhi Master Plan (DMP), 2021
The plea alleged that such units functioning at Wazirpur discharged effluent in open drains which ultimately met the Yamuna river.
It contended that under the pretext of decision making “time is being taken by the Delhi government and the environment is made to suffer continuously”.
