NGT orders closure of 379 stone crushers in Hry
CHANDIGARH: Coming down heavily on the stone crusher operators of Haryana, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has stopped the operation of 379 stone crusher units in Haryana. The orders will severely effect the stone-crushing operations in Gurgaon, Faridabad and Mewat areas.
NGT’s central zone bench at Bhopal in a January 10 order directed the Haryana government to file an affidavit to this effect before February 6, the next date of hearing after the counsel for Rajasthan government pointed out that all the defaulting 379 units had been given consent and were still operating in Haryana.
“The counsel appearing for Haryana has submitted that notices have already been issued to all the 379 units and the replies have also been received from 282 units and process is still continuing. We direct that the affidavit to this effect may be filed before the next date of hearing,’’ said an order passed by Dr Satyawan Singh Garbyal, an expert member on the NGT bench.
‘No action taken against illegal operators’
The Haryana state pollution control board during a hearing in November 2017 had failed to provide a satisfactory reply to the NGT bench when it was asked as to what steps have been taken against the 379 stone crushers illegally operating in the state. “The pollution control board was directed to supply a copy of the compliance report, on that day, to the counsel for Rajasthan. We are shocked to learn that so far the said compliance report had not been given and only today it is being filed. In fact it has transpired that no action has been taken so far against such operators. Even a show-cause notice for the purpose of giving them opportunity to hearing, has not been issued till date. It is to be noted that this was an issue which was brought to the notice to the Haryana chief secretary who had responded in writing by way of an affidavit with an assurance that appropriate steps shall be taken immediately.
But we find that there is a total lack of sincerity and earnestness to the deposition so made,” said a November 13 order passed by a bench comprising Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore and Dr Satyawan Singh Garbyal.