National Green Tribunal
News Item Titled "Washing Center Par ... vs . Ankita Sinha on 16 December, 2025
Item No. 18 Court No. 1
BEFORE NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL
PRINCIPAL BENCH, NEW DELHI
Original Application No. 225/2025
News Item Titled "वाश िंग सेंटर पर १००० अवैध वाहन हर महीने ३० करोड़ लीटर पानी
कर रहे बबााद" Appearing In Jagaran City Noida Dated 27.04.2025
Date of hearing: 16.12.2025
CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE PRAKASH SHRIVASTAVA, CHAIRPERSON
HON'BLE DR. A. SENTHIL VEL, EXPERT MEMBER
Respondents: Mr. Bhanwar Pal Singh Jadon, Ms. Atika Singh, Mr. Shivansh Sharma,
Ms. Disha Tiwari, Ms. Gargi Chaturvedi & Ms. Anjali Sharma, Advs. for R
-1
Mr. Pradeep Misra & Mr. Daleep Dhyani, Advocates for Respondent No. 2
(Through VC)
Mr. Anju Bhandari & Ms. Jahanvi Bhardwaj, Advocates for Respondent
No. 3.
Mr. Gigi. C. George and Mr. Sunil Kumar, Advocates for Respondent No.
4.
ORDER
1. This Original Application (OA) was registered suo-Moto on the basis of the news item titled वाश िंग सेंटर पर १००० अवैध वाहन हर महीने ३० करोड़ लीटर पानी कर रहे बबााद appearing in Jagaran City Noida dated 27.04.2025. The news item had disclosed that approximately 30 crore litres of water wasted every month by illegally operating vehicle washing centres in Gautam Budh Nagar. The news item had further disclosed that around thousands such centres are operating in the District without obtaining required NOC from the Ground Water Department. The news item had disclosed the number of vehicles being washed in this washing centres and the extent of water which is wasted and violation of the existing norms.
2. The Tribunal by order dated 08.05.2025 had taken up the matter in the suo-Moto exercise of powers recognized by the Hon'ble Supreme Court 1 in the matter of "Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai vs. Ankita Sinha & Ors." reported in 2021 SCC Online SC 897. The parties were impleaded and notices were issued to them. The replies have been filed.
3. We have heard the learned counsel for the parties and perused the record. The CPCB has placed on record the classification of industries into Red, Orange, White and Blue category issued in January, 2025. The Reply of the CPCB discloses that the automobiles service station/workshop are categorized under Orange category and they are required to obtain Consent to Establish(CTE)/Consent to Operate (CTO). The disclosure so made by the CPCB in its reply is as under:-
"xxx xxx xxx
4. That, as per the directions dated 12.02.2025 issued by CPCB under Section 18(1)(b) of the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act, 1981, to all the SPCBs/PCCs, Automobile service stations/workshops are categorized under "Orange" Category; and Orange Categories of industrial sectors are required to obtain Consent to Establish (hereinafter referred to as "CTE") and Consent to Operate (hereinafter referred to as "CTO") from the concerned SPCB/PCC and shall comply with the conditions prescribed therein. A copy of the direction dated 12.2.2025 issued by CPCB is annexed as Annexure-L"
4. The CPCB has also placed on record the entry 113 of Schedule I of the Environment Protection Rule, 1986 which has been inserted by the amendment Notification dated 26.12.2019 providing for the standards for automobiles services station, bus depot or work shop as under:-
"2. In the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, in Schedule-l, after serial number 113 and the entries relating thereto, the following shall be inserted, namely:
S. Industry Parameter Standard
No.
(1) (2) (3) (4)
"114 Automobiles service Effluent Standard
Station Bus Depot or (Concentration not to exceed, in mg/l Workshop except for pH) Inland Surface water/land for irrigation/Public Sewer pH 6.5-8.5 Total Suspended 50 Solids 2 Chemical Oxygen 150 Demand Oil and Grease 10"
Note:
(i) For Service Stations, Bus Depots and Workshops with metal pre-treatment facilities, limit of 5 mg/l of dissolved phosphates (as P) and 5 mg/l of zinc shall also apply.
(ii) Solid Wastes/ Hazardous Waste, if any, shall be disposed off as per the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016 and the Hazardous and Other Waste (Management and Trans-
boundary Movement) Rules, 2016."
5. The automobile service stations are required to adhere to the above standards which have been prescribed under the EP Rules, 1986.
6. The reply filed by the UP PCB dated 12.09.2025 discloses that as per the records maintained by the RO, NOIDA 42 automobiles centres are registered out of which 12 do not have the requisite consent. As per the survey dated 05.08.2025, 58 illegal car washing/ two-wheeler washing centres have been found and in the further survey report dated 23.08.2025, further 42 such illegal washing plants have been found. Thus, the total comes to 142 such car washing centres found to be operating in NOIDA. The disclosure made by the UP PCB in its report dated 12.09.2025 is as under:-
"xxx xxx xxx
5. That as per the record maintained in Regional Office, NOIDA, 42 automobile service centres are registered. Out of those 42 registered service centres, 12 do not have consent at present, hence notice has been issued to them to obtain consent. These automobile service centres also have washing plants. A copy of those 42 automobile service centres is being enclosed herewith and marked as Annexure-
1.
6. That the U.P. Pollution Control Board on 29.07.2025 has sent a letter to Executive Engineer, Ground Water Division, Gautam Budh Nagar, enclosing therewith a proforma and asking for information about the No Objection Certificate issued by Ground Water Department to vehicle service and washing. True copy of the said letter is being enclosed herewith and marked as Annexure-2. 3
7. That the officers of Regional Office, UPPCB, NOIDA conducted a survey and in the report dated 05.08.2025 have found 58 illegal car washing/two wheeler washing service centres. A true copy of report dated 05.08.2025 is being enclosed herewith and marked as Annexur-3.
8. That on the same day letters have been sent to Executive Engineer, Groundwater Department, Chief Engineer, Pashchimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam and Additional Chief Executive Officer, NOIDA, enclosing therewith list of those 58 washing centres with a request to take action against them. True copies of those letters to sent to Executive Engineer, Groundwater Department, Chief Engineer, Pashchimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam and Additional Chief Executive Officer, NOIDA is being enclosed herewith and marked as Annexure-
4.
9. That on further survey 42 such illegal washing plants have also been found. True copy of report dated 23.08.2025 is being enclosed herewith and marked as Annexure-5."
7. Along with the report, the UP PCB has also enclosed the list with the address and consent status of these 142 automobiles service station found to be operating in NOIDA and Greater NOIDA.
8. Learned counsel appearing for the UP PCB submits that the action has been initiated against those who are operating in violation of the norms. He submits that this exercise will be completed within eight weeks and the action will be taken against those car washing/automobiles centres in NOIDA and Greater NOIDA which are operating without requisite permission such as CTE and CTO and without complying with the prescribed norms.
9. The report of the District Magistrate, Gautam Budh Nagar dated 13.09.2025 discloses that a committee was constituted by the District Magistrate which had carried out the inspection and had noticed following violations:-
"Committee Inspections
7. That pursuant thereto, the committee inspected the said units on 05.08.2025 and 19.08.2025. That during such inspections, the following violations were identified: 4
Particulars Noida Greater Total
Noida
No. of service and 100 38 138
washing 100 centers
identified in non-
conforming area
10. The report of the District Magistrate further reveals that action taken in respect of illegal drawl of water by these units from unauthorized borewells is as under:-
"VI. ACTION REGARDING ILLEGAL BOREWELLS
8. That the UPPCB NOIDA has written letters dt. 05.08.2025 and 23.08.2025 to the Executive Engineer, Ground Water Department, Division-Gautam Buddh Nagar. That the said letter state that (58+42) 100 car/motorcycle service/washing centers have been found using groundwater for washing purposes and borewells have been established for groundwater extraction. That no evidence of obtaining NOC from the U.P. Ground Water Department for such groundwater extraction has been provided. Therefore, vide the said letters it has been requested to the Ground Water Department to verify the borewells and NOCs of all the car/motorcycle /service/washing centers and take necessary action against the violators.
9. Similarly, the UPPCB Greater NOIDA has written letters dt. 18.08.2025 and 25.08.2025 270 to the Executive Engineer, Ground Water Department, Division - Gautam Buddh Nagar to verify the status with respect to the (33+5)=38 car/motorcycle service/washing centers and take necessary action against the violators.
Copies of the letters dt. 05.08.2025, 23.08.2025,18.08.2025 and 25.08.2025 have been annexed herewith as ANNEXURE R-4."
11. The action for other violations are also reflected in the report of the District Magistrate as follows:-
"xxx xxx xxx VII. DISCONNECTION OF ELECTRICITY
10. That the UPPCB NOIDA and UPPCB Greater NOIDA has written letters dt. 05.08.2025, 23.08.2025, 18.08.2025 and 25.08.2025 to the Chief Engineer, Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd. (PVVNL), NOIDA and General Manager, NPCL, Greater NOIDA to disconnect the electricity connections of the 138 identified service and washing centres.
Copies of the letters dt. 05.08.2025, 23.08.2025, 18.08.2025 and 25.08.2025 have been annexed herewith as ANNEXURE R-5. VII. ACTION ON LAND USE VIOLATION 5
11. That the UPPCB NOIDA and UPPCB Greater NOIDA has written letters dt. 05.08.2025, 23.08.2025, 18.08.2025 and 25.08.2025 to the Additional Chief Executive Officer, New Okhla Development Authority, NOIDA and Additional Chief Executive Officer, Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority, Greater Noida. That vide the said letters it has been requested to verify the land use status of the service/washing centers established/operating in violation of the Master Plan, and to take appropriate legal action against the violators. A Copy of the letters dt. 05.08.2025, 23.08.2025, 18.08.2025 have been annexed herewith as ANNEXURE R-6.
IX. ACTION TAKEN WITH RESPECT TO THE UNITS OPERATING IN INDUSTRIAL AREAS
12. That furthermore, the officials of UPPCB, Greater Noida have carried out inspections of 24 automobile service centers established within the industrial areas of GNIDA and UPSIDA. Upon inspection, it was found that 13 of these service centers were operating without obtaining the mandatory Consent to Operate (CTO) from the UPPCB. Consequently, the UPPCB issued notices to all the said 13 service centers directing them to obtain CTO. Out of these 13 service centers, Show Cause Notices have already been issued to 10 service centers under Section 33A of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, whereas action against the remaining 3 service centres is presently under process, as the stipulated period of 15 days granted to them has not yet expired.
Copies of the Notices to 13 units have been annexed herewith as ANNEXURE R-7.
Copies of show cause notices to 10 units have been annexed herewith as Annexure - 8.
X. ACTIONS TAKEN BY GROUND WATER DEPARTMENT
13. That it is pertinent to submit here that the U.P. Ground Water Department, Gautam Buddha Nagar has informed vide letters 09.09.2025 that 55 car washing centres have been identified by them in Greater Noida and notices have been issued to them regarding the illegal ground water abstraction. Copies of the letters dt. 09.09.2025 and notices have been annexed herewith as ANNEXURE R-9."
12. The Uttar Pradesh Ground Water Authority-Respondent No. 4 has filed reply dated 13.09.2025 disclosing the action which has been taken under Uttar Pradesh Ground Water (Management and Regulation) Act, 2019 as under:-
"xxx xxx xxx
9. That in compliance with the order dated 08.05.2025 passed by this Hon'ble Tribunal, the answering respondent has identified 55 car washing centers and, accordingly, issued show cause notices dated 03.09.2025, directing them to produce valid No Objection Certificates (NOC), if any, granted for extraction of ground water. Copy of the Show 6 cause notice dated 03.09.2025 are annexed herewith as Annexure 5 (Colly.).
10. That it is most respectfully submitted that no response has been received from the project proponent till date. Furthermore, in the absence of any response after the expiry of the stipulated notice period, further appropriate action shall be initiated against the project proponent in accordance with the applicable rules."
13. Learned counsel appearing for the Respondent No. 4 submits that after filing of the above report 14 borewells have been seized and separate notices have been issued to them for imposition of penalty.
14. A perusal of the above report reveals that though the UP PCB has disclosed a larger number of automobile washing centres which are operating in NOIDA and Greater NOIDA but the report of the District Magistrate, Gautam Budh Nagar and Respondent No. 4 reveal a lesser number of the automobile car washing centres. Therefore, the District Magistrate, Gautam Budh Nagar and the Respondent No. 4- UP State Ground Water Authority are required to verify the compliance by each of the car washing centre which have been disclosed by the UP PCB, a list of which has also been enclosed along with address with their reply and take appropriate action if they are operating in violation of the norms.
15. Hence, we direct the UP PCB, Respondent No. 4- UP State Ground Water Authority and District Magistrate, Gautam Budh Nagar to complete this exercise within a period of three months by duly following the principles of the natural justice and submit report covering each of the automobile washing centres disclosed by the UP PCB in its report, to the Registrar General of the Tribunal via email at [email protected], if deemed necessary, the matter will be listed for consideration before the bench again.
7
16. The OA is accordingly disposed of.
Prakash Shrivastava, CP Dr. A. Senthil Vel, EM December 16, 2025 Original Application No. 225/2025 A 8