NGT slaps ₹1 lakh fine on city pollution body for filing report on basis of hearsay
NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a penalty of ₹1 lakh on the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) for submitting a report on burning of tyres and illegal workshops in east Delhi’s Shahdara without “verification”.
The green panel, in its order, said the DPCC had submitted the report — on the illegal denting and painting workshops and scrap market at Gokalpur village in Shahdara — only on the basis of “hearsay”.
Maintaining that the report furnished by the DPCC in compliance of its previous order was based only on the stand of the residents’ welfare association and not on actual verification, as expected, a bench of NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said the penalty amount must be deposited with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) within one month from the date of the order issued — November 13.
The green court has also directed the DPCC to conduct a fresh inspection at Gokalpur Village and prepare a report on “facts ascertained”. The court said the inspection should be conducted under the supervision of a representative of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
“The personal responsibility to deposit cost will be of the member secretary, DPCC,” the bench said.
The bench also made it clear that if there were non-compliance of its order, it would take coercive measures in terms of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, against the authorities concerned.
The NGT’S direction came on a plea filed by an RWA, seeking execution of its guidelines banning tyre burning in the open and closure of unauthorised units running in Shahdara.
The green court had, on August 24, asked the DPCC and the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) to conduct an inspection in Shahdara. The court had earlier said that various illegal units such as welding shops, bakery shops and slaughter houses were running in residential areas without proper permits.
Despite repeated efforts, HT couldn’t contact DPCC officials.