In a significant move to protect agricultural land and enforce environmental laws, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a directive to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC). The tribunal has ordered the pollution control body to take strict action against industries allegedly operating illegally on farmland in Mundka village.
NGT's Directive to DPCC
The order was passed by a bench led by Justice Prakash Shrivastava on January 7. The tribunal was hearing a plea that raised serious allegations against two individuals. The plea claimed these individuals were running industrial activities on agricultural plots in Mundka, specifically on land identified by khasra numbers 123/10 and 110/22.
The NGT noted that while the applicant did not provide exhaustive details of the industrial operations or a copy of any prior complaint to the DPCC, the core allegation demanded scrutiny. The bench observed that if any illegal industrial activity is indeed taking place on agricultural land in violation of environmental rules, it is imperative for the DPCC to intervene.
Violation of Environmental Norms
The core issue highlighted by the tribunal is the blatant violation of environmental norms. Agricultural land is designated for farming and related activities, not for setting up industrial units which often involve processes that can pollute air, water, and soil. Operating factories on such land without necessary clearances is a serious breach of law.
The NGT has given the DPCC a clear timeline of eight weeks to investigate the matter thoroughly, take appropriate legal and punitive action against the violators, and submit a detailed action taken report to the tribunal. This report will outline the steps taken by the committee to address the violation.
Implications and Next Steps
This directive underscores the NGT's proactive stance in safeguarding environmental regulations, even in urban and peri-urban villages like Mundka where such encroachments are common. It puts the onus squarely on the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, the city's primary environmental watchdog, to enforce the law.
The case brings to light the ongoing challenge of illegal industrial encroachment on agricultural land in the National Capital Region. The NGT's order is expected to set a precedent, prompting stricter surveillance and quicker action against similar violations across Delhi to protect its limited green and agricultural zones from unauthorized industrial pollution.
