Hyderabad: High Court raps GHMC, PCB for laxity

Hyderabad: None of the authorities concerned are working as per law for checking and preventing pollution, observed the Telangana State High Court here, on Tuesday.

While hearing a public interest litigation and related writ petitions on pollution causing industries and industrial units in various parts of the city, the High Court of Telangana said it has come to the notice of the court that more than 200 polluting industrial units are functioning in Shastripuram locality. However, the local GHMC officials appear to have filed an affidavit saying only three plastic units were functioning.

The court opined that officials should physically visit the units and give affidavit. "The standard answer we get whenever we ask the GHMC officials on the action taken against the pollution causing industries that they will issue notices. But we see none of the officials concerned are working as per law," the bench observed.

The standing counsel for GHMC informed the court that the GHMC has issued notices to 345 industries causing pollution in Shastripuram area and gave them one-week time to respond. The counsel also informed the court that closure notices were served on 281 units.

"We have crossed the pollution levels of Delhi. The pollution is affecting even the babies growing in their mothers' wombs.

How long the GHMC will take to close the polluting units. It is time to take action against pollution causing units," the bench observed.

At this point, the counsel for petitioner urged the court to direct the authorities to disconnect the power supply to the pollution causing units.

The bench observed that the Pollution Control Board is sleeping since 2012 and sought to know what action the PCB has taken since 2012. The bench directed the PCB to file a report on the action taken so far.

The bench directed the GHMC commissioner and PCB chairman to conduct departmental enquiry against erring officials and initiate departmental action against such officials. The court also directed them to submit detailed reports on the issue.

While directing the personal appearance of the GHMC commissioner and PCB chairman before the bench, the court posted the matter to April 7 for further hearing.