HSPCB issues closure notices to 64 stone crushers in Yamunanagar
Following the dismissal of petitions by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has issued show-cause notices to 64 stone crushers in Yamunanagar district, initiating closure action.
The high court had dismissed 27 writ petitions filed by stone crusher owners from Yamunanagar and other districts of Haryana on November 29, 2024. These petitions had challenged the Haryana Government’s notification of May 11, 2016, which outlined strict siting criteria for stone crushers.
The notification mandated a minimum distance of 1 km from the nearest village periphery (phirni/Lal Dora) and 0.5 km from any forest land recorded in government records. The stone crushers in question reportedly failed to meet these parameters.
Abhijeet Singh Tanwar, Assistant Environment Engineer of the HSPCB, said, “These 64 stone crushers were not meeting the parameters cited in the notification of May 11, 2016.”
The petitioners alleged that the notification violated their fundamental rights under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to practice any profession or conduct any business. They argued that shutting down their operations would result in loss of employment for hundreds of workers and lead to financial losses due to capital investments made.
Despite these arguments, the high court dismissed the petitions, clearing the way for the HSPCB to act against non-compliant stone crushers.
Virender Singh Punia, Regional Officer, HSPCB, Yamunanagar, said, “Show-cause notices for closure action under Section 31-A of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, and revocation of consent to operate under the Air Act have been issued to 64 stone crushers.”
The stone crusher owners have been given 15 days to submit detailed compliance reports, demonstrating adherence to the siting criteria outlined in the notification.
This move is part of the HSPCB's intensified efforts to ensure compliance with environmental norms across Haryana. Similar actions are expected to follow in other districts of the state.
