Closure notice to be issued to units violating pollution norms

Chennai, Jul 2 (UNI) The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to issue closure notice to stone crusher units found violating pollution norms.

A division bench comprising Justice S J Mukhopadhaya and Justice V Dhanapalan gave the interim direction to the authorities last week, on a public interest writ petition filed by S V Pechiammal.

The petitioner wanted the court to quash stone crushing permissions granted by the authorities in January 2002, and sought a direction to the authorities to issue closure notice to all the crushing units operating within the prohibited distance of 500 metres from any residential locality.

The Bench, citing a report filed by the TNPCB pursuant to an earlier order of the court, said a number of stone crusher units were running without the consent of the TNPCB or without complying with the norms laid down bythe National Environment Engineering and Research Institute (NEERI). Though the report said some connected cases were pending in court, it did not specify any details.

The Bench then directed the TNPCB to issue notice to crusher units, asking them as to why their units be not closed if they were found operating without the consent of the TNPCB and/or without complying with the NEERI norms ''irrespective of their distance from the residential area.'' The agency was also asked to furnish the date, letter number and mode of service of such show-cause notices issued to erring units.

The Bench then adjourned the matter to July 17 for further hearing.

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