The Supreme Court on Wednesday warned that polluting industrial units across the country would be shut down if they do not set up Primary Effluent Treatment Plants (PETPs) in next three months to stop releasing untreated waste in nearby water bodies.
Haryana government to install smog-eating towers in Gurugram and Faridabad: Report
A bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar has issued a set of directions and told the state Pollution Control Boards (PCBs) to issue a common notice in the form of public advertisement.
"We direct concerned state pollution control boards to issue notice to all industrial units by way of a common advertisement requiring them to ensure that they have functional primary effluent treatment plants," said the bench, which also comprises Justices D Y Chandrachud and S K Kaul.
"On the expiry of three months notice period, the concerned state pollution control boards are mandated to carry out inspections at industrial units as to whether they have functional PETPs," it added.
The PCBs have also been advised to ask concerned electricity boards to disconnect power supply to defaulting industrial units. The units will be able to resume their functions only after they make their PETPs functional.
According to the apex court, while individual industrial units have to set up PETPs, the government will have to establish Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) within three years after acquiring land and completing other formalities.
While reports regarding the setting up of CETPs will be submitted by the state to the National Green Tribunal, the local civic authorities have also been given permission to formulate norms to take tax from users in case the setting up of and running the CETPs faces a financial crisis. But if they have enough funds, then the units using the CETPs will not be charged.
In order to make the rules applicable from the coming financial year, the norms will be finalised by March 31.
The setting up of Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) plants have been left to the authorities, who can decide on it once the CETPs are taken care of. Currently, Jamshedpur is the only city to have a ZLD plant.
