Ten factories sealed for waste dumping, burning
OPEN BURNING OF WASTE IS PROHIBITED IN DELHI, ATTRACTING A PENALTY OF ₹5,000 AS PER NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL RULES.
NEW DELHI: At least 10 factories were sealed and 154 were issued notices in the Bawana and Narela industrial areas over the week for open dumping and burning of waste -- a major contributor to air pollution.
The factory units were found violating green norms, particularly at night, officials of the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development (DSIIDC) said.
The violations were found during a drive by a 10-member DSIIDC team, who started night patrol this month. Two of the sealed factories are in Narela and the rest in Bawana.
“We video-recorded incidences of garbage dumping and waste burning, on the basis of which the notices were issued. Sealing action will be taken for others as well,” a senior DSIIDC official said.
The Sc-appointed Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) had pulled up the government agency last month for allowing dumping and burning of garbage. It had asked stakeholders to form teams and start night patrolling.
The Bawana industrial area was identified as one of Delhi’s pollution hotspots last year. The Sc-panel in a recent inspection found mounds of plastic and rubber waste at vacant plots in the two areas .
Some factory owners plan to meet Delhi’s minister for industries Satyendar Jain. Rajeev Goyal, president, Bawana Industrial Association, said the step would act as a deterrent.
“This is an important step as some people would indulge in wrong practices while all factory owners were pulled by the Sc-panel. Violators will now be answerable for their acts and it will create a deterrent,” said Goyal.
DSIIDC chairman and managing director Mohanjeet Singh, said, “The factory owners were issued notices and some units were sealed as they were not disposing of waste as per norms.
The EPCA had last month levied a fine of ₹5 lakh on DSIIDC for letting the practice go unchecked and ₹10 lakh each on two private concessionaires responsible for waste collection in Bawana and Narela industrial areas.