The National Green Tribunal directed the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Board on Thursday to submit details of tanneries on the banks of River Ganga in Kanpur and inform whether they have permission from the Central Ground Water Authority for extraction of ground water.
A bench headed by Justice U D Salvi also directed the Board to dispose the applications of tanneries seeking consent to operate in the state within four weeks in accordance to law.
"UPPCB shall place before us all the facts concerning the commencement of the industrial activity by each applicant, episodes of operations without consent, requisitions made for compliance and the compliance made, abstraction of ground water and requisite permissions from CGWA," said the bench.
The NGT had earlier termed 700 tanneries in Kanpur located on the Ganga river bank as one of the highest sources of pollution. It had also warned them of coercive action if they failed to comply with environmental laws. The tanneries, which were running without consent, were shut down for polluting the river.
The green bench was hearing pleas filed by Kazi leather, N R Tanners, Minaar Industries (and New Universal Tannery seeking expeditious disposal of their applications on consent to operate. The matter will be next heard on September 15.