Gurugram, Panipat critically polluted

Mukesh Tandon

Tribune News Service

Panipat, July 17

The industrial clusters at Gurugram and Panipat are critically polluted. Gurugram is on the ninth position and Panipat at the 11th spot among the top 100 polluted industrial clusters across the country.

This was revealed in a survey conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 2018. The CPCB has produced its report before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) during the hearing of a case.

Following the reports, the NGT has ordered the shutting down all polluting industries within three months in ‘critically polluted areas’ (CPAs) and ‘severely polluted areas’ (SPAs) across the country.

A Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed the CPCB to assess the quantum of compensation to be recovered from polluting units for the past five years in coordination with the respective state pollution control boards (SPCBs).

It also directed that no further industrial activities or expansion should be allowed with regard to ‘red’ and ‘orange’ category units till the areas are brought within the prescribed parameters or till the carrying capacity of the area is assessed.

The NGT has directed to recover compensation at the rate of Rs1 crore from large-scale industries, Rs50 lakh from medium-scale industries and Rs25 lakh from small-scale industries taking into account the cost of restoration and cost of damage to public health and environment and the deterrence element.

The NGT, however, clarified that the industries under white and green category would not be affected by this order.

As per the data of Haryana State Pollution Control Board, 350 industrial units are in red category; 220 in orange category and 25 industries are in green category at Panipat.

The CPCB carried out the physical study of the industrial clusters in the country with reference to the Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index which includes weightage on the nature of pollutants, ambient pollutant concentrations, receptors (number of people affected) and additional high-risk element across the country.