National Green Tribunal
Anupam Verma vs State Of Up on 7 November, 2024
Item No. 13 Court No. 2
BEFORE NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL
PRINCIPAL BENCH, NEW DELHI
Original Application No. 841/2024
Anupam Verma Applicant
Versus
State of UP Respondent(s)
Date of hearing: 07.11.2024
CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SUDHIR AGARWAL JUDICIAL MEMBER
HON'BLE DR. AFROZ AHMAD, EXPERT MEMBER
Applicant: None
Respondents: Ms. Priyanka Swami, Advocate for DM Barabanki (through VC)
Ms. Sthavi Asthana, Advocate for UPPCB
Ms. Vidushi Tripathi, Advocates for Respondent No. 3 (through VC)
Mr. Haris Beeran and Mr. Azhar Asees, Advocates for Respondent no. 4.
ORDER
1. This original application was registered under Section 14 and 15 of National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 (hereinafter referred to as 'NGT Act, 2010') exercising suo moto jurisdiction on a letter petition dated 17.11.2023 sent by Anupam Verma.
2. Complainant has said that M/s Amroon Foods Private Limited (Slaughter House) is operating at Barabanki which is violating environmental laws causing water and air pollution and damage to environment and causing health hazard to local inhabitants. It is said that untreated effluent is discharged directly in river Reth which is flowing near the said industrial unit causing pollution of river water. Remains of slaughter animals are also directly being thrown in river contaminating the water.
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3. There are some other allegations which are not in reference to environment, therefore, we are omitting the same from consideration.
4. Pursuant to order dated 03.09.2024 Joint Committee report dated 03.10.2024 has been filed through Regional Officer, UP Pollution Control Board (hereinafter referred to as 'UPPCB') vide affidavit dated 07.10.20204.
5. Report was considered by Tribunal on 14.10.2024 and it found that report did not give any facts with regard to maintenance of greenbelt and plantation in compliance of conditions contained in consent. Hence a specific report was required to be given by Joint Committee.
6. Pursuant to order dated 14.10.2024, further report has been filed by District Magistrate, Barabanki vide letter dated 26.10.2024 which shows that report has been prepared and signed by Dr. Arun Kumar Singh, Additional District Magistrate, Finance and Revenue, Barabanki, Dr. C.B. Singh, DGM and Regional Head, APEDA Facilitation Centre and Himanshu Sonkar, Assistant Scientific Officer, UPPCB.
7. Additional District Magistrate, Finance and Revenue was not a member of Joint Committee constituted by Tribunal and we failed to understand as to how report could be submitted by a Committee other than the Committee constituted by this Tribunal. When we enquired from learned counsel appearing for District Magistrate to explain this discrepancy, no satisfactory reply has been given. Moreover, on the question pointed out in order dated 14.10.2024, vague report has been submitted stating that green belt has been developed without disclosing as to what kind of species of trees have been planted, how many trees have been planted and what is the exact area which has been developed as green belt.
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8. Even respondents 2 and 3 have filed their replies but there also, no clear reply has been given to cover this aspect.
9. A compliance report filed by State of U.P vide email date is dated 06.11.2024 wherein it is said that from reply received from unit, it has been found that total land area covering project is 104697 square meters wherein Greenbelt has been developed on 41762.9 square meter which is 39.88% of total area but there is nothing to show that these facts have been verified by concerned Authorities. This statement is founded solely on the reply of Proponent.
10. There is another response dated 07.10.2014 on behalf of respondent 2 which states that pursuant to directions issued by Supreme Court in Common Cause versus Union of India and Others, W.P No. 330 of 2001, State government issued order dated 07.07.2017 containing 24 points compendium which had to be complied with by all slaughterhouses. Directions were reiterated by Lucknow Bench of High Court in its judgement dated 31.05.2023 passed in W.P No. 4368 of 2022, M/s Al Haq Food Pvt. Ltd v. State of U.P and ors. Copy of judgment is on page 190 of paper book. Judgment of High Court in Para 37 has referred to State Government's order dated 07.07.2017 and conditions required to be complied by slaughterhouses/meat shops mentioned therein read as under:-
"3. मा० उच्चतम न्यायालय द्वारा केन्द्र सरकार / राज्य सरकार के विविन्न वििाग ों द्वारा compendium में विविन्न अविवियम ,ों वियम ,ों विशा-वििे श ों के अिुसार पशुििशालाओों की स्थापिा / मीटशॉप का सोंचालि वकये जािे हेतु विम्न प्रावििाि प्रसाररत वकये गये हैं :-
S.N. STATUS/STANDARD/GUIDELINE 1 Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 (relevant Sections:
3(p.3), 9(b) (p.6), Section 9 (e) (p.6), 11 (p.7,8) and 38(P.15,16) 2 Transport of Animals Rules, 1978(as amended in 2001 and 2009) 3 3 Prevention of cruelty to Animals (Transport of Animals of Foot) Rules 2000 4 Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules 2001 5 Performa for Ante and Post Mortem Fitness Certificates to be issued by the veterinary Doctor after examining the animals before and after slaughter of animals as per Rule 4(3) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001 [Relevant documents: Letter from AWBI to Director/Commissioner, Municipal Administration of all States and Union Territories, dated 17.10.2016 (p.49); Letter from AWBI to CEO Food Safety & Standards Authority, dated 17.10.2016(p.50) Letter from FSSAI to All Central Licensing Authorities and Commisioners of food safety of all States/UT's (p.51) 6 Draft Prevention Of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of livestock market) Rules 2016 7 Central Motor Vehicles (Eleventh Amendment) Rules, 2015[ Relevant Rules: Rule 125 E(p.62) 8 Central Motor Vehicles (13th Amendment) Rules, 2016 [Relevant Rules: Rule 125 E(p.71) 9 Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 [Relevant Sections-
Section 92 (p.118,119)] 10 Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of food Additives) Regulations 2011 [Relevant regulations Part IV (p. 161-178)] 11 Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011 [Relevant regulations- Regulation 2.5 (p. 265)] 12 Agriculture and Processed Food Product Export Development Authority (Amendment) Act, 2009 [Relevant Sections-section 4 (p.344) and section 12 (p.349)] 13 Environment Protection Act 1986 [Relevant Section-6 & 25(p.356) 14 The Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 [Relevant RulesEffluent Discharge Standards. S. No. 509(p.357) 15 (Revised Draft) Effluent Discharge Standards for Slaughter House to be notified by the MoEF [Relevant Rules- Effluent Discharge Standards. S.No. 50 (p. 360) 16 The water ( Preservation and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 [Relevant Section 24(p.373, 374) , 25 (p.374), 26 (p.375), 27 (p.375,376),28 (p.376)& 33B(p. 378)] 17 The Water (Preservation and Control of Pollution) Act, 1975[Relevant Rules: Form XIII(p.410)] 18 The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981, [ Relevant Section- 21 (p.441), 21A (p.443),23 (p.443), 24 (p.443,444), 31A (p.446),31B (p.446), 37 (p.448), 40(p.448,449), & 41(p.449)] 19 The Municipal Solid Wastes (Management & Handling) Rules 2000 [ Relevant Rules-7 (p.456), Schedule II-S.No.1 (iii)(p.458), 4(p.459), 5.(p.459,460),6(p.460), Form II Clause 6 (ii) (p.472)] 20 The National Green Tribunal Act 2010 [Relevant sections 14(p.482),16(p.483)] 21 IS 8895:2015 Handling Storage and Transport of Slaughter house by- produce Guidelines(First revision) 22 IS 1982:2015 Ante Mortem and post mortem inspection of meat animals- Code of practice (second reivison) 4 23 IS 4393:2016 Basic Requirement of an Abattoir(second revision) 24 . [Revised] Standards for Discharge of Effluents from slaughter houses, Meat Processing Units and Sea Food Industry मा० सिोच्च न्यायालय द्वारा उपयुुक्त मामले में पाररत अन्तिम विर्ुय वििाोंक 17.02.2017 का पररशीलि वकये जािे पर यह पाया गया वक प्रिे श में पुरािी पशुििशालाओों का आिुविकीकरर् तथा आिुविक पशुििशालाओों की स्थापिा वकये जािे से सम्बन्तित शासिािे श सोंख्या-2394/िौ-8-2014-03 पी (बजट)/2014 वििाोंक 26.1.2014 में उन्तिन्तित कई प्रावििाि ितुमाि आिे श के पररप्रेक्ष्य में अप्राोंसवगक ह गये है , वजसके दृविगत पशुििशालाओों की स्थापिा/सोंचालि वकये जािे हेतु सोंश वित विशा वििे श जारी वकये जािे की आिश्यकता है।
4. मा० सिोच्च न्यायालय द्वारा ररट यावचका (वसविल) सोंख्या-330/2001 कामि काज बिाम िारत सोंघ, ररट यावचक सोंख्या-44/2004, अिमाििा यावचका सोंख्या- 124/2015 के साथ सोंलग्न ररट यावचका सोंख्या 309/2003 लक्ष्मी िारायर् म िी बिाम यूवियि ऑफ इन्तिया ि अन्य में पाररत आिे श वििाोंक 17.02.2017 के अिुपालि में पशुििाशालाओों के सोंचालि के सम्बि में श्री राज्यपाल शासिािे श सोंख्या-2394/िौ-8- 2014-03 पी (बजट)/2014 वििाोंक 26.11.2014 क अिकवमत करते हुए विम्नित अद्यति विशा-वििे श विगुत करते है :-
(1) The Food safety and Standards Act, 2006 की िारा-89 में िी गयी व्यिस्था The Provisions of this Act shall have effect notwithstanding anything inconsistent therewith contained in any other law for the time being in force or in any instrument having effect of virtue of any law other than this Act. समस्त प्रचवलत अविवियम ों पर ओिरराइव ों ग इफेक्ट रिती है। ऐसी न्तस्थवत में वकसी िी कार बारी क लाइसेन्स विगुत करिे का िावयत्व The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 की िारा-89 के अिगुत िाद्य सुरक्षा एिों औषवि प्रशासि वििाग का है, ज The Food safety and Standard (Licencing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulation, 2011 के 2.1.2 (1) (5) के शेड्यूल-IV के अिगुत हाइजीि एिों सैिेटरी आिश्यकताओों क दृविगत रिते हुए ल कल अथाररटी से अिापवि प्रमार् पत्र प्राप्त करते हुए लाइसेन्स/पोंजीकरर् विगुत वकये जािे की व्यिस्था है।
(2) The Food safety and Standards Act. 2006 एिों The Food Safety and Standard (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulation, 2011 के 2.1.2 (1) (5) के शेड्यूल-IV के अिगुत हाइजीि एिों सैिेटरी आिश्यकताओों क दृविगत रिते हुए ल कल अथाररटी से अिापवि प्रमार् पत्र प्राप्त कर िाद्य सुरक्षा एिों औषवि प्रशासि वििाग के सोंबोंवित अविकारी द्वारा लाइसेन्स/पोंजीकरर् विगुत वकये जािे की कायुिाही की जायेगी।
(3) The Food safety and Standards Act. 2006 के वििाोंक 05.08.2011 से प्रिािी ह जािे के फलस्वरूप उ०प्र० िगर विगम अविवियम, 1959 एिों िगर पावलका अविवियम, 1916 में िाद्य लाइसेन्स विये जािे सम्बिी प्रावििाि विष्प्रिािी ह गये हैं।5
(4) अद्यति पशुिि गर्िा क आिार में लेते हुए सम्बन्तित ल कल एथाररटी यवि पशुििशाला की स्थापिा का औवचत्य पाती है , त ी०पी०आर मा० उच्चतम न्यायालय के वििे श ों ि सुसोंगत अविवियम / ों वियम / ों आिे श ों के अिीि तैयार करायेगी।"
11. Reply of UPPCB in para 10 states that premises of respondent 4 was inspected on 02.05.2024 to ascertain status of compliance of aforesaid 24 point compendium and inspection report has been placed on record at page 235 but said report is incomplete and does not show compliance of all the above conditions.
12. We fail to understand as to why respondents 2 and 3 have not given a specific reply, particularly, in respect of pointed issues raised by Tribunal in its order dated 14.10.2014 and even joint Committee has not cared to verify facts and submit proper report in this regard.
13. We accordingly direct Divisional Forest Officer, Barabanki to visit site, verify whether greenbelt has been maintained and plantation as per conditions of Consent has been done by Proponent and submit a report within 15 days.
14. District Magistrate, Barabanki and Member Secretary, UPPCB shall appear on next date.
15. List on 23.12.2024.
Sudhir Agarwal, JM Dr. Afroz Ahmad, EM November 07, 2024 Original Application No. 841/2024 AB 6