‘Form panel to inspect Sonia Vihar market area for polluting activities’: HC

The committee will comprise the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, sub-divisional magistrate and officials of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation.

The Delhi High Court (HC), on Wednesday, directed that a committee be constituted to inspect the Sonia Vihar market area to check for any polluting activity by iron and steel traders, who moved court challenging an order of the sub-divisional magistrate directing removal of their equipment following complaints of noise and air pollution. The court, however, did not stay the SDM’s order.

The Delhi High Court (HC), on Wednesday, directed that a committee be constituted to inspect the Sonia Vihar market area to check for any polluting activity by iron and steel traders.

The committee will comprise the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, sub-divisional magistrate and officials of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation.

The order comes on a plea by the Sonia Vihar Iron and Timber Scrap Traders’ Association, which challenged the SDM’s order to remove their equipment in view of directions by the National Green Tribunal.

Through the plea, traders contended they were not engaged in production or alienation of iron products. The petition stated that on, April 15, notices were pasted on their shops without any “assertion of factual position and without spot verification”.

“The petitioners are not engaged in any business of manufacturing using plastic garbage,” the plea detailed adding that unless spot verification is done, it cannot be ascertained if the said activities were polluting or not.

The court directed that a compliance report be also submitted to the court on July 12, when the plea will be heard next.