The district administration and the pollution control board on Thursday closed down 11 factories in Tronica City for not abiding by norms laid down by the National Green Tribunal.

Officials said they would continue with the campaign until all 53 factories that have been found to pollute nearby water bodies were sealed.

At the core of the problem is a common effluent treatment plant (CETP) that the UP government had set up to facilitate treatment of waste water from these factories. But since the CETP remained non-functional for most of the time, a petition was filed against these factories in the NGT.

The green panel had in March this year directed the district magistrate to ensure the closure of all 53 factories. “We received a directive from the district magistrate on May 25 that asked us to seal all 53 polluting units in the area,” said Ashok Tiwari, regional officer, district pollution board. “In compliance with the order, we have been carrying out a drive for the past two days to seal off the factories,” added Tiwari.

District magistrate Ritu Maheshwari said the administration was bound to comply with the NGT order and the drive would continue until all 53 units were sealed. “These industries were served notices by the pollution board to rectify the fault in the CETP but they paid no heed to it. This prompted the NGT to come up with such a stringent order,” said Maheshwari.

The NGT had said in its order: “We consider it our duty to issue orders to check pollution of the area and the things cannot be permitted to go in an unregulated and uncontrolled manner. Therefore, we have no other option but to order that 53 units operating in the area be closed down immediately.”

“As per the NGT’s order, the drive will continue until the CETP is made to function properly,” said Maheshwari.  

The court is scheduled to take up the matter again on July 20.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/