Civic bodies granting licences to industries flouting norms

New Delhi: The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has accused civic authorities of allowing industries to operate in residential areas of the national capital without mandatory clearances.

It has now issued a notification barring them from granting any licen-ces or water and power connections to industrial units, in residential as well as approved areas, not having the “Consent to Establish” from the environment department.

The Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority had recently warned that it may seal such illegal units if the authorities do not act immediately.

“Industries/units in approved industrial areas or estates or redevelopment areas and conforming areas as notified under the Master Plan of Delhi, shall have to come after obtaining Consent to Establish under the Air & Water Acts from the DPCC.

“All government agencies such as municipal corporations or local bodies, discoms, Delhi Jal Board etc. Shall not grant or issue any license or permission or electricity connection or water supply connection or sewer connection to the industries or units without having consent to establish under the Air and Water Acts from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee,” the notification said.

In the notification, the DPCC observed that industries or units in approved industrial areas and also in residential and non-conforming areas are operating without obtaining clearances from the DPCC.

“The root cause of the problem is that the municipal corporations/local bodies concerned and electricity and water supply/sewer connections, excise license from the agencies concerned (i.e. discoms and Delhi Jal Board) without seeking Consent to Establish/Consent to Operate under the Air and Water Acts from the DPCC,” it said.

The EPCA had recently sought to know the total number of such industrial units operating in Delhi, but the DPCC and the municipal agencies failed to respond and sought to pass the buck to one other.