NGT seeks govt response on plea against illegal car workshops

The National Green Tribunal has sought a response from the Centre on a plea alleging inaction and connivance on the part of civic authorities here for allowing some automobile service centres/workshops to be set up and operate without requisite clearances.
A bench, headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, also issued a notice to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on a plea seeking action against the service centres operating "without proper and mandatory clearance under law".
The authorities have to file their responses by March 5, the next date of hearing, the Tribunal said and directed DPCC to verify the contentions of the petitioner organisation Delhi Pollution Control Society (DPCS).

DPCS has alleged in its plea that "the manner in which said the service centres are running their activities of building, service, repair and painting, etc (of vehicles) without requisite and mandatory statutory approvals, licences and clearances right under the nose of respondents clearly indicates that the said respondents are acting in connivance and collusion with said ASCs".
It also alleged that till date the authorities have failed to take action against the unauthorised service centres or workshops as "they (authorities) have been influenced by extraneous and illegal considerations".
Many of the service centres operate from petrol pumps and fall under the orange category, DPCS' petition states.

An industry is categorised as green, orange and red based on their pollution potential with green being the least and red being the highest.
It is also alleged in the petition that these units do not have any waste disposal systems installed within the premises, don't have any sewage system and use ground water without permission for their operations.