Date | April 24, 2017:

The Jewar subdivisional magistrate has directed all brick kiln owners to obtain necessary environmental clearances as per the directions of the National Green Tribunal.

Shubhi Kakan, subdivisional magistrate (Jewar), said on Monday, “All brick kiln owners were briefed about the NGT norms and directions issued by the district magistrate. They were directed to obtain environmental clearance before starting operations. Any brick kiln that is found to be operational without environmental clearance and other necessary permissions will be treated as illegal and, the police and district officials team will seal them.”

According to the mining department, 11 brick kiln owners from Jewar have submitted the mining plan and filed an application for environmental clearance.

“As per an earlier estimate, there were 17 brick kilns in Jewar. I have directed the brick kiln owners to submit their applications. Further, I have directed them to close the operations if they are running brick kiln illegally. If our teams find the brick kiln operational, we will prosecute them as per NGT norms. Checking environmental pollution is our highest priority,” said Kakan.

Officials at the regional office of Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board said they are yet to get any application from brick kiln owners for NOCs under the water and air pollution prevention acts. They said that brick kiln owners are yet to obtain environmental clearance. Officials said that the owners have not even been granted permission for mining.

The board had apprised the district level committee about the anomalies on a meeting on March 24.

The Jewar circle officer also warned the brick kiln owners to follow the NGT norms or face closure.

Officials from police, mining department, UPPCB, labour department and tehsil officials were present at the meeting headed by the subdivisional magistrate.

Representatives of nine brick kilns attended the meeting and assured officials of complying with NGT norms. However, they complained that getting environmental clearance is turning out to be a cumbersome process. “My application for environmental clearance is pending for over a month but there is no progress over it,” said Narayan Maheshwari of Kisan Eet Udyog.

(Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/)