Now, Yamuna can breathe again

Now, Yamuna can breathe again
SONU JAIN

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 25: The Delhi government will seal 1,146 polluting industries on Monday. All these industries discharge untreated effluents into the drains that lead to the Yamuna.

This in response to the Supreme Court taking serious note of the fact that in spite of the environment department issuing closure notice a month back, the local government had failed to implement the directives.

Chief Secretary Omesh Saigal had been issued contempt notice, on the failure of the local government to close polluting industries. The SDMs have been empowered under the Water Pollution Act to seal these industries.

In a previous hearing, the SC on September 13, 1999, had ordered that no industry be allowed to discharge untreated effluents into the Yamuna. These industries were directed to install Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) by November 1, 1999. After the November deadline was over, the department of environment found that none of these polluting industries had installed ETPs.

Public notices to close the industries was issued apart from particular directives. Since, the implementing authorities are DVB and DJB, even after the closure order was issued, the local authorities failed to deliver.

Soli Sorabjee, Attorney General of India, who represented the Delhi government in a letter issued to the Chief Secretary said: ``I would like to establish that whatever the practical and other difficulties on score of expediency may be, noncompliance with the Supreme Court will be visited with penalties under the Contempt of Court Act. There should be no illusion about seeking further time by pleading helplessness before the court. Any violation of the order at this stage is out of question.''

Sorabjee has also asked for a comprehensive note indicating various steps taken to comply with the SC order, including the letters in a chronological order to the Commissioner of Police, chairman DVB to comply with the order. Officials at the department say, it is a dynamic process and this is only the first phase of the crack-down.

Other 4,000 industries are supposed to be dealt with in the coming months. These include electroplating, pickling and dying industries all over the city, both in non-confirming and confirming areas. Among the areas to be hit are Wazirpur, Samaipur Badli and Okhla.