New Delhi, May 29 (KNN) The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to submit action taken report with regard to closure of defaulting industries making shoe soles and other plastic goods in Narela and Bawana area.

Following a report submitted by a NGT appointed committee pointed to “open dumping of waste and its burning,” a Bench headed by NGT CHAIRPERSON Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed authorities to submit an action-taken report.

The tribunal said "However, the SDM and the municipal corporation are free to exercise their own statutory powers under the Municipal Act or the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) or any other enabling statutory powers. The DPCC is free to take assistance of an agency as per law but the responsibility of compliance is of the DPCC itself."

The tribunal cleared  that the power under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and the Environment Protection Act, 1986 to recover compensation is exercisable by the DPCC exclusively which cannot be delegated to the SDM or the municipal corporation.

The committee further informed the tribunal that compensation was recovered from various units while some which failed to pay the amount issued closure orders.

During the hearing, the NGT was informed that solid waste has been disposed of at waste to energy plant and 244 units found dumping/burning of waste have been asked to pay environmental compensation of Rs 50,000 each.

The tribunal has put up the matter for consideration on September 12.