HC imposes fine of Rs 2 lakh on Industrial association's false PIL

New Delhi, Apr 26 (UNI) The Delhi High Court has imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on Confederation of Delhi Industrial Society, a union of some polluting industries, for obstructing the establishment of an effluent treatment plant at Anand Parbat in Central Delhi.

While dismissing the petition, a Division Bench comprising Justice Vikramajit Sen and J P Singh, said, ''We dismiss this malafide petition with Rs 2 lakh as cost which is to be paid to the government agencies.'' ''The sole motive of the petitioners who comprise the industrialists and the factory owners at Anand Parbat, is not to contribute their 50 per cent share to meet the cost of the common effluent treatment plant.'' Strangely this petition is purported to be a public interest litigation (PIL), whereas, in fact it is a personal interest litigation and is directly against the public interest, the court observed in the 12-page order.

Blaming the factories for the delay in the execution of the Supreme Court order, the Court directed the authorities to seal the polluting factories till the plant was made operational.

''The factories want to continue with the discharge pollutant into the river Yamuna,'' said the order.

Land was acquired for the construction of the plant for the treatment of effluent of the factories situtated at Anand Parbat, in compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court but till the date the plant could not be constructed because of the machinations of the petitioners and others, the court said.

There are more than 300 factories and industries in the highly populated area that are releasing the affluents to the drains. The authorities had planned to set up an effluent treatment plant since 1998 with 25 per cent each contributions from the central and state governments.

The Supreme Court on December 18, 1997, in its order in the M C Mehta vrs UOI had directed the government to construct Common Effluent Treatment plants in various areas of the capital.

The State govenrment had also acquired the required land for the construction of the plant at Anand Parbat on June 16, 1998.

UNI