HC slaps notices on GSPC,PGVCL rights group over environment laws violation

In connection with a public interest litigation (PIL) that has alleged violation of environmental laws by a large number of units of ceramic industry in Morbi-Wankaner region of Saurashtra,the Gujarat High Court (HC) on Tuesday joined Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC),Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited (PGVCL) and a voluntary organisation,International Human Rights Association,as respondents while issuing them notice and posted the matter for further hearing next week.

The three were joined as party by a division bench of the court comprising of Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and Justice J B Pardiwala after the petitioner contested the number of ceramic manufacturing units in the region as placed by Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) and sought to join them as respondents to ascertain the total number of ceramic manufacturing units in the region.

A Palanpur-based environmental activist,Babubhai Saini,has moved the PIL seeking the court’s directions to the GPCB to comply with the directions given to it by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to check use of prohibited coal-based gasifiers instead of mandatory Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in the industry. According to the petitioner,GPCB has not complied with the directions given to it by CPCB.