Negligence of authorities made Delhi a polluting city: Delhi High Court

Had the authorities kept their eyes open, the national Capital would not have become a "polluting city", the Delhi High Court said on Thursday while coming down heavily on the authorities.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar expressed displeasure over the connivance of officials of the municipal corporations in allowing industrial units in residential and non-conforming areas.

"If the authorities would have kept their eyes open, Delhi would not have become a polluting city. The hospitals here would have less patients," the bench said. The court's direction came while hearing a PIL filed by the Bawana Factory Welfare Association, which highlighted the failure of authorities to relocate industries from residential areas.

It asked the three civic bodies to conduct an inquiry and inform the court about zone-wise details of the industries, before February 19 next year. It also asked the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (DSIIDC) to ensure strict action against 1,706 industrial complexes, which failed to construct or shift to that site despite it being allotted to them.

Appearing for the DSIIDC, its counsel informed the court that they have appointed a committee for maintaining and providing facilities in these industrial complexes. Following this, the court observed that "in addition to the huge impact on account of illegal industrial activities continuing in non-conforming areas and usage of the residential property for illegal industrial activities, public money is spent for maintaining these industrial complexes developed at a huge cost to the public exchequer".

"Additionally, these continued illegal industrial activities are putting a huge constraint on every resource of the city unreasonably and also putting a pressure on the available infrastructure and impacting the pollution levels," the bench added.

The plea had highlighted as to how the plots allotted to these industries in industrial areas remain unused while factories continue to be operated from non-profit conforming areas.

PROBE ORDERED

It asked the three civic bodies to conduct an inquiry and inform it about polluting industries and also asked the DSIIDC to ensure strict action against 1,706 industrial complexes.