No water, power to industries without our nod, says DPCC
All govt agencies such as municipal corporations or local bodies, discoms, Delhi Jal Board shall not grant or issue any license or permission or electricity connection or water supply connection or sewer connection to industries ... without (DPCC’S) consent. DPCC NOTIFICATION
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has asked the agencies concerned to not give any permission or provide utility connections like water and electricity to industrial units without its approval.
This was conveyed through a recent notification issued last week by DPCC member secretary SM Ali, which says that the decision was taken in a meeting of the pollution committee’s board on November 27 last year.
“All government agencies such as municipal corporations or local bodies, discoms, Delhi Jal Board etc. shall not grant or issue any license or permission or electricity connection or water supply connection or sewer connection to the industries or units without having consent ... from DPCC,” the notification says.
The notification has been sent to electricity distribution firms, civic bodies, Delhi Jal Board, Delhi Development Authority and excise department.
This comes days after the municipal corporations and the DPCC were rapped by the Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority over industrial units “illegally” operating in residential areas of Delhi.
Reacting to the notification, North Delhi Municipal Corporation spokesperson YS Mann said the notification, like any similar government order, will be complied with by the civic body.
Earlier, the Delhi environment department gave March 15 as the deadline to all industrial units operating in Delhi to switch to piped natural gas (PNG) from any other fuel source they are currently using. Units that fail to comply with the order will be shut down.
The pollution control body has recently issued a notification, under section 19 of Air Act, mandating the ‘acceptable fuels’ that could be used in Delhi. The list did not include furnace oil or pet coke or other fuels that could have high sulphur.
In a meeting with Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on December 7, last year, EPCA chairman Bhure Lal had raised the issue of industries running in Badli, Bawana, Narela and DTU areas causing air pollution.
These industrial areas use non-approved fuels for running their machines and are burning garbage. There are approximately 10,000 rubber units operating and need to be checked, he had informed.