Noting that pickling units fall under prohibited list of industries as per Master Plan 2021, the National Green Tribunal has directed the Delhi government to shut down such industries units located in the national capital with immediate effect.
Pickling is a metal surface treatment used to remove impurities like stains, inorganic contaminants, rust or scales from ferrous and precious metals, copper and aluminum alloys.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said that reckless dumping of hazardous waste by these units cannot go on "endlessly" as it would have adverse impacts on environment and ecology.
Noting that the orders of the High Court and the Tribunal as well as the Master Plan 2021 have listed pickling industries in the list of negative category industries, the green panel said hence such units are not permitted to operate in Delhi and this shall be "enforced by the concerned Authorities including Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and Government of NCT of Delhi."
"This itself would result in reducing effluent load on the Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) as all these industries are located in the same industrial area where CETP is located and consequently reduction in generation of sludge," the bench, also comprising Justice R S Rathore, said.
The direction came after DPCC told the bench that as per the master plan, pickling activity has been reflected in the negative category list of industries and, therefore, not permitted to operate in NCT of Delhi with effect from September 23 this year.
The Tribunal was hearing a plea filed by Ashok Vihar Mitra Mandal against group of industries which generate hazardous waste and store it at CETP in its premises.
The industries are responsible for dumping of waste which was causing high presence of chromium, lead, arsenic copper and nickel, cobalt and iron in soil and water, the plea said.
The green panel also directed Managing Director of Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (DSIIDC) to hold a meeting with representatives of Delhi Development Authority (DDA), DPCC, CETP and Haryana government.
"In the meeting Officer-in-Charge of Haryana Government, hazardous treatment plant at Pali, State of Haryana shall also be present and other private entrepreneurs in the field of treating hazardous waste like Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd and Bharat Oil Waste Management Ltd will also be invited.
"All these stakeholders will be required to take hazardous waste and treat the same at their respective places. The transportation of the sludge (hazardous waste) shall be the responsibility of the CETP and DSIIDC," the bench said.
During the hearing, the counsel appearing for the DSIIDC alleged that Delhi government does not have any mechanism or plant to treat the hazardous waste and they have also met DDA and Haryana for transportation of the sludge to the government plant at Pali for treatment but nothing materialised.
The matter is listed for next hearing on October 28.
