Steel pickling units can sell stock : DPCC assures NGT

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) today assured the National Green Tribunal that the authority will abide by the NGT's order permitting steel pickling units here to sell the stock manufactured by them so far.
Steel pickling is the process of removing impurities, such as stains, inorganic contaminants, from the metal.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed the DPCC to inspect the units in terms of its order of October 9, 2013 and submit a report on the next date of hearing, November 27.
The assurance came during the hearing of an application by the steel pickling units which claimed that despite the NGT's October 9 order permitting them to sell their stock, the DPCC ordered on October 10 that all activity, including commercial, be stopped at their premises.

The DPCC told the bench that the closure order was issued as per an Environment Ministry notification of September 23, 2013, but assured that it will abide by the NGT's October 9 order.
The units were granted liberty by the NGT to challenge the ministry's notification and the DPCC's October 10 order.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Development Authority told the Tribunal that it has already put steel pickling industry into the negative/prohibited list.
The Tribunal had in August this year restrained such steel pickling units from carrying out operations without the DPCC consent on the plea by an NGO, All India Lokadhikar Sangthan.

However, on October 9 the NGT had allowed the units to sell the stock they had manufactured till they were shut down but made it clear that if the DPCC on inspection found any manufacturing activity at any plant then the authority was free to shut it down.
It had also directed the DPCC to conduct surprise checks of the units.
Stainless steel products are in demand during Diwali and it is one of the grounds cited by the units when they moved the NGT for permission to sell their stock.