NGT notice to Centre on glass industries in Firozabad

The National Green Tribunal today sought response from the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government on a plea seeking closure of glass industries operating without valid consent in Firozabad district.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar issued notice to Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, GAIL, Uttar Pradesh government and others while seeking their response by October 9.
The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by NGO Social Action for Forest and Environment (SAFE) seeking closure of 89 glass industries closure of 89 glass industries in Firozabad, which were operating without obtaining a valid consent to operate from the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board.

"The NGO raises the issue of permitting the capacity expansion of the glass industries, restart of long time closed glass industries and establishment of new glass industries in Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) in Firozabad," the plea filed through advocates Ritwick Dutta and Rahul Choudhary said.
The NGO said that the Supreme Court in 1996 allowed only those industries to operate inside the TTZ area which would switch over to natural gas as an industrial fuel and held that industries which were not in a position to obtain gas connection shall stop functioning.
"In view of the directions, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas allocated 1.1 MMSCMD (Milion Metric Standard Cubic Meter per day) gas to industries located in TTZ.

"After September 2012 GAIL is supplying imported gas in addition to allocated quantity to meet the extra requirement of glass industries which expanded their capacities, which were newly established and to those which were closed for a long time but restarted in TTZ area," the plea said.

The NGO sought stay on the operation of glass industries which have expanded their capacities, who were closed for long time and who have newly registered after 1996.
"In alternative, direct GAIL Gas Ltd not to supply the natural gas to these glass industries," it said.
Earlier, the tribunal had constituted a committee to inspect the glass industries of Firozabad and collect samples of ambient air quality in the area.