Steel unit in Delhi challenges closure notice

Justice Vibhu Bakhru said DPCC will not take any steps to recover the EDC till next date of hearing, September 18. The court posted the matter to be heard with a bunch of other similar petitions.

The Delhi High Court has directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) not to take any coercive steps in recovering ₹10 lakh environmental damage compensation (EDC) from an industrial unit till the next date of hearing.

The Delhi High Court. (HT image)

The court also sought DPCC’s response on a plea challenging the closure order to the firm for allegedly polluting the environment.

Justice Vibhu Bakhru said DPCC will not take any steps to recover the EDC till next date of hearing, September 18. The court posted the matter to be heard with a bunch of other similar petitions.

The court was hearing a plea filed by one Brij Mohan Basia, who had challenged DPCC’s May 17 sealing order to his industry allegedly involved in the pickling of steel sheets.

Basia, through his advocate Shailesh Kumar Sinha, had challenged the ₹10 lakh EDC imposed on his industry.

The plea said the actions taken on him were arbitrary and unreasonable. It said the May 17 closure notice was “illegal, unsustainable, arbitrary and unconstitutional”. It denied carrying out any picking activity and calling the sealing action as “blatant violation of natural justice”.

However, DPCC’s counsel told the court that the petitioner was carrying out steel-pickling activity, which is prohibited under the Master Plan of Delhi-2021.

Following arguments from both sides, the court posted the matter for September 18 along with other petitions dealing with similar content. Till then, it asked DPCC to refrain from recovering the charge.