17 factories in Uttarakhand asked to shut over pollution, jobs at stake

Court had asked state to take action on units for causing pollution

Complying with the Uttarakhand High Court’s orders, district administrations in the state on Friday began sealing 17 factories, including that of Sharda Motors, for causing pollution. According to an estimate by Pankaj Gupta, president of the Industries Association of Uttarakhand (IAU), hundreds are likely to lose jobs following the closure. 

“Under the high court’s orders, we have given closure orders to 17 factories over pollution in the state,” said SP Subudhi, member secretary of the Uttarakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board (UEPPCB), the state-run nodal agency. Last year, the high court had asked the UEPPCB to prepare a list of