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The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has mandated the Haryana government to present a comprehensive review on stone-crushing units in the districts of Mahendragarh and Charkhi Dadri within an eight-week timeframe. This decision follows an assessment by the Haryana government, which highlighted that 49 out of the 133 units in Mahendergarh breached both the 2016 notification pertaining to stone crushers and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1981.
The NGT's directive was prompted by a petition filed by Vinod Kumar Jangra, a Charkhi Dadri resident, and several affiliated cases. Jangra’s petition underscored the concern for air quality in regions housing these units. He argued that with deteriorating air quality, the air lacked the capacity to neutralize the pollution produced by these units, leading to stark violations of air and water pollution standards. This jeopardized both the environment and public health. The NGT reviewed the petition on October 21st and released its subsequent order the following Tuesday.
In their detailed account, the Haryana government revealed actions already undertaken in response to these violations. Specifically, the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) shut down 24 out of the 49 non-compliant units by revoking their Consent to Operate (CTO). Additionally, 32 units ceased operations independently, while the process to close the remaining three is underway.
The government also submitted that the proposal for installation of five continuous ambient air quality monitoring systems in Mahendergarh has received a green signal from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The project would cost Rs 5.1 crore and will be funded from the NGT environmental compensation funds. Supplementing this, the HSPCB has also inaugurated five manual monitoring stations.
However, Charkhi Dadri's situation remains alarming, with a staggering 104 stone-crushing units found in violation of the stipulated norms and operating devoid of a valid Consent to Establish (CTE) or CTO. The government's intervention led to the closure of 40 of these units by the HSPCB, while seven shut down on their own, and 57 were discovered to be disassembled.
In its conclusion, the NGT bench, comprising chairperson Prakash Shrivastava and expert members Dr. A Senthil Vel and Dr. Afroz Ahmad, offered the petitioner an avenue to raise objections to the presented report. These objections are expected ahead of the next hearing slated for November 23rd.
On a concluding note, a senior official from the Haryana mining department said that they have already been working on NGT's directions and will submit all details as per the orders of the tribunal.
The NGT’s stern directive to the Haryana government underscores the tribunal's commitment to environmental and public health. With the impending review on November 23rd, it remains to be seen how effectively the state addresses these environmental concerns.
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