As per the directive of the National Green Tribunal, stainless steel pickling industries, which are operating without complying with mandatory pollution standards, in Wazirpur Industrial area have been inspected, Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has told the Tribunal.
The Tribunal had earlier directed the DPCC to inspect the units and examine whether the effluents emitting from each of the units were contributing to the rising pollution levels or not.
During the hearing, the counsel for DPCC also informed the bench — headed by Justice P Jyothimani — that he would produce all papers relating to the 40 cases where show-cause notices were issued and 11 cases where consent to operate is stated to have been rejected on next date of hearing, October 17.
The Tribunal, on September 10, had directed DPCC to take legal action against the erring industries, which are not complying with mandatory pollution standards.
Earlier, DPCC had issued closure notices to several industrial units, mainly steel pickling units, in the Wazirpur Industrial Area for discharging harmful effluents in drains that empty in the Yamuna.
Steel pickling is the process of removing impurities, such as stains, inorganic contaminants, from the metal. The Tribunal had, however, allowed the units which had earned “deemed” consent to operate and directed DPCC to expeditiously deal with the pending applications.
The Tribunal had, on a plea by an NGO, in August last year restrained such steel pickling units from carrying out operations without DPCC consent.