Early Times Report
Jammu, Nov 5: Considering the threat of pollution being spread by the brick kilns, the High Court has directed the J&K State Pollution Control Board and the office of Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, to close those brick kilns that are operating without obtaining "Environmental Clearance Certificate". A writ petition in this regard was filed by one Suresh Kumar Sharma of Akhnoor against which the high court issued an interim order vide CMA No 2169/2014 on October 30 last, stating that all those brick kilns that are functioning without ECC should be immediately closed without any further delay. The court also directed the Commissioner/Secretary, Forest Department, Civil Secretarit Jammu, Commissioner/ Secretary to Revenue Department, J&K Government, J&K SPCB, through its chairman Transport Nagar Jammu, Div Com Jammu and Div Com Kashmir vide OWP No. 1690/2014 on 30th Oct 2014. In this regard, the petitioner has also filed Right To Information applications in the J&K SPCB, Narwal, Jammu and DC Office Jammu seeking information regarding the number of brick kilns that have applied for ECC from State Environment Impact Assesment Authority, number of applications received for the same, number of applications rejected due to non compliance of norms, number of licences renewed under J&K Brick Kiln Act etc. The petitioner said there were about 600 brick kilns functioning in the state and most of them were working without ECC and are polluting the environment brazenly. He said that it is the duty of state government and its concerned departments especially the state pollution control board to keep a check on the large scale pollution being spread by the brick kilns but unfortunately it has failed to do so. |
