Haryana govt’s action against industrial units highly inadequate: NGT

Withdrawal of ground water without any assessment of impact of such extraction needs to be taken seriously against all the non-compliant industries, the green panel said.

Action taken by Haryana government against large scale violation of laws by industrial units for alleged contamination of ground water is highly inadequate, the National Green Tribunal said on Friday.

Representative Image/HT

Withdrawal of ground water without any assessment of impact of such extraction needs to be taken seriously against all the non-compliant industries, the green panel said.

The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by Haryana resident Ramesh Chand with reference to the allegation of pollution caused in the process of dyeing by the industrial units, resulting in contamination of ground water in Khandra village in Panipat district, Haryana.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel noted that as per the analysis results of the underground water samples, few parameters were exceeding the acceptable limits.

According to the report filed by State Pollution Control Board (SPCB), two non-complying units have been closed and prosecution is under process. Compensation has been assessed and three units have not resumed their operations after lockdown, the report said.

The NGT said the report showed large scale violation of law by the industrial units for which action taken so far is highly inadequate. “Illegal extraction of ground water without any assessment of impact of such extraction needs to be taken seriously against all the non-compliant units... Compensation needs to be recovered for the entire period of violation up to the last five years,” the tribunal said.

The NGT asked Haryana government to take further action in the matter and file report filed before the next date by e-mail.

The matter is posted for next hearing on January 5, 2021. PTI