5,000 illegal industries in residential areas irks SC

New Delhi, Oct. 11: The Supreme Court Thursday said it was “unfortunate” that even after 14 years of setting up a monitoring committee to stop illegal industrial units in Delhi, around 5,000 of them were still operating in residential areas.

The committee, headed by chief secretary of Delhi, assured the bench of Justices Madan B. Lokur and Deepak Gupta that such illegal units will be sealed within 15 days.

The court noted that the committee had said in its report that all such industrial units which were illegally running in either residential and non- conforming areas, would be closed down within 15 days and their electricity and water connection disconnected.

The committee, in its report filed in the top court, also said that 15,888 illegal units were closed down till August this year.

“It is unfortunate that even after 14 years have gone by, the concerned authorities, chief secretary, commissioner of police, commissioners of municipal corporations and vice chairman of Delhi Development Authority ( DDA) have not been able to close down these illegal units,” the bench said.

“Now, it is stated that needful will be done in 15 days,” the bench noted in its order.

The monitoring committee, constituted in pursuance to a 2004 order of the apex court, comprises of the chief secretary of Delhi, the commissioner of Delhi police, the commissioners of municipal corporations of Delhi and the vice- chairman of DDA.

In its report, the committee has said that if the 21,960 industrial units, which were allotted alternative plots for shifting from residential and non- conforming areas, have not closed down from residential areas, they would be sealed within 15 days.