Impose environmental fine on illegal Panipat bleaching units, NGT tells pollution board

The National Green Tribunal has directed the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) to impose and recover environmental compensation (EC) from all 32 illegal bleaching units for their past violation of environmental norms. These illegal bleaching units had been sealed by HSPCB recently.

Notably, the NGT has taken suo motu cognisance of news report ‘Panipat’s illegal bleaching units pollute land, waterways’ published in The Tribune on May 14 about the environmental problems due to illegal bleaching houses operational in Panipat district.

Acknowledging the seriousness of the issue, the Principal Bench of the NGT headed by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava served notice to HSPCB, Haryana Water Resource Authority (HWRA) and DC Panipat and sought detailed reply into the matter and directed them to file their reply through affidavits.

The NGT in its order on May 23 said that the article highlighted how these illegal bleaching units in Panipat are posing a serious threat to the environment by discharging chemical-mixed waste water directly into drains and open land, which is a blatant violation of the environmental regulations.

Most of these illegal bleaching units are set up on agricultural land and are scattered across villages Naultha, Dahar, Binjhol, Balana, Paldi, Kurar, Didwadi, Mandi, Israna and Naara.

Following the NGT’s directions, Bhupender Singh Chahal, Regional Officer, HSPCB along with his team initiated action against all 32 illegal bleaching units and submitted reports to the NGT on August 28.

As per the action-taken report by the HSPCB, a total of 31 bleaching units were found engaged in textile dyeing and bleaching which is covered under the red category and one unit was found engaged in recycling of the plastic waste which is covered under orange category.

The HSPCB has sealed all 32 bleaching units, which have been operational without valid consent to operate (CTO), consent to establishment (CTE), without effluent treatment facility and extracting groundwater without valid permission of the HWRA.