Industries in residential areas: NGT pulls up BSES Yamuna

The National Green Tribunal has pulled up BSES Yamuna for supplying electricity to industrial units located in Vishwas Nagar area here which are engaged in hazardous activities and causing pollution.
A bench headed by Justice U D Salvi sought the discom's response over snapping of electricity supply to all such units where industrial activity is being carried out in Vishwas Nagar.
"Prima facie, none have right to carry out any industrial activity in the residential area. Yet we find that electricity supply is being given to the industrial units in residential area of Vishwas Nagar within the limits of East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC)," the bench said, posting the matter for September 7.

During the hearing, advocate Balendu Shekhar, appearing for EDMC, informed the tribunal that that no industrial licence or permit has been issued to carry out industrial activity in Vishwas Nagar.
He also clarified that Vishwas Nagar area, which falls within EDMC, is a residential area where no industrial activity was permitted.
The counsel for BSES Yamuna told the bench that there was a legal obligation on the part of discom to give electricity to the units which have a municipal licence to carry out industrial activity.

The bench was hearing a plea filed by local resident S N Rohatgi who had approached the green panel against industrial units operating in the area seeking their immediate closure on the ground that these industries were causing air and noise pollution.

The tribunal had earlier cracked the whip on industries located in the city's residential areas with a direction to close them for discharging untreated toxic waste in drains leading to Yamuna.
Last year, the Delhi High Court was informed by the city government that more than 1500 industrial units at Vishwas Nagar area were engaged in hazardous activity.
According to a survey carried out by a joint inspection committee, out of a total 3604 units in the area, 1509 were commercial, 134 are permissible as per Master Plan Delhi - 2021, nine are impermissible, 1383 are engaged in polluting activity, 179 in hazardous activity and 390 were found to be closed.