The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) and others in connection with a petition filed by the Public Action Committee (PAC), a non-government organisation (NGO), over alleged large-scale air, water and soil pollution caused by dyeing industries at the Tajpur dyeing complex in Ludhiana.
The petition, filed under the Environment Protection Act, Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, Water Act and waste management rules, also invokes constitutional safeguards under Articles 21, 48A and 51A. The PAC has alleged that pollution in the area has reached an alarming stage, posing serious risks to public health and the environment.
PAC members Kapil Arora and Kuldeep Singh Khaira said several dyeing units in the complex are using pet coke, rice husk and cow dung as fuel, resulting in the generation of hazardous fly ash and boiler ash. According to them, this waste is being openly dumped, illegally buried under agricultural land, spread on roads and vacant plots and discharged into Buddha Nullah. They alleged that due to the absence or failure of pollution control devices, thick clouds of ash and dust are released from chimneys, settling on residential areas, farmlands, vehicles and even Tajpur Jail, rendering the locality unsafe for habitation. Residents have reportedly been suffering from respiratory ailments, eye irritation and skin diseases, particularly children and the elderly.
PAC members Jaskirat Singh and Amandeep Singh Bains alleged failures on the part of the regulatory authorities, including non-disclosure of fuel type in consents to operate, inadequate inspections and the non-installation of mandatory Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Systems (CAAQMS) in Ludhiana’s industrial areas despite clear CPCB directions since 2019. They pointed out that Ludhiana currently has only one CAAQMS, located within the relatively green Punjab Agricultural University campus, yet the Air Quality Index (AQI) frequently crosses 300. This, they said, indicates that pollution levels near industrial clusters could be far more severe if properly monitored.
{{/usCountry}}PAC members Jaskirat Singh and Amandeep Singh Bains alleged failures on the part of the regulatory authorities, including non-disclosure of fuel type in consents to operate, inadequate inspections and the non-installation of mandatory Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Systems (CAAQMS) in Ludhiana’s industrial areas despite clear CPCB directions since 2019. They pointed out that Ludhiana currently has only one CAAQMS, located within the relatively green Punjab Agricultural University campus, yet the Air Quality Index (AQI) frequently crosses 300. This, they said, indicates that pollution levels near industrial clusters could be far more severe if properly monitored.
{{/usCountry}}Further elaborating on the case, PAC members Gurpreet Singh and Mohit Saggar said that photographic evidence, site inspections, eyewitness accounts and satellite imagery were submitted before the tribunal, showing illegal burial of fly ash under farmlands and dumping near Buddha Nullah. The petition relies on binding judgments of the Supreme Court and the NGT, asserting the right to clean air, water and soil as an integral part of the right to life under Article 21, and seeking enforcement of the Polluter Pays and Precautionary principles.
The PAC has urged the tribunal to order immediate closure of repeat violators, conduct independent surprise inspections, impose environmental compensation, fix accountability of officials and direct the installation of at least three additional CAAQMS in and around industrial areas to assess the actual air quality in Ludhiana.
Taking cognisance of the submissions, the NGT has issued notices to the respondents and directed them to file their replies before the next date of hearing scheduled for April 14.