Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Shailesh Singh Vs State of Uttar Pradesh & Others dated 18/08/2020 regarding illegal operation of slaughter houses in Khurja in Bulandshahr District, Uttar Pradesh, discharging effluents into the groundwater, drains, rivers and extracting groundwater without any lawful authority. They are also alleged to be violating the siting norms. Further case of the applicant was that a State Level Committee was constituted in terms of orders of the Supreme Court dated August 23, in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 309 of 2003, Laxmi Narain Modi v. Union of India & Ors., headed by the Secretary Urban Development, Uttar Pradesh. The Committee made its recommendations but the recommendations have not been followed.

The NGT through its order of December 10, 2015 in O.A. No. 173/2015 held that none of the units can operate without ‘Consent to Operate’ and without anti-pollution devices. It was further held that no groundwater can be extracted without permission of the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA). But the directions remained uncompiled.

The effect was that there was huge pollution of river Yamuna on account of discharge of effluents by the slaughter houses. Remedial action was required to be taken. The units are ‘red’ category as per classification of industries by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). A joint committee report was filed on June 10, 2020 to the effect that out of 15 slaughter houses and meat processing units at Mundakhera Road, Khurja, Bulandshahar, only 3 were operational and the remaining 12 were non-operational. With regard to monitoring of Mundakhera drain at different locations, it was stated that huge quantity of municipal solid waste was found dumped on the bank of the drain.

NGT Order of August 18, 2020: 

The NGT noted that there was illegal extraction of ground water without the permission of the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA). The NGT directed that the statutory authorities should take action for illegal extraction of ground water including assessment and recovery of compensation following due process of law.

The authorities should maintain vigilance against illegal operation of such units which are found to be non-functional during inspection. Such units should not be allowed to operate till compliance of environmental law and till payment of compensation for their illegal operation in the past. In view of high level of pollution found in the water samples of the drains, the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board should initiate a drive to ascertain the sources of such pollution and take remedial action. The tribunal ordered that a further report be furnished by the Joint Committee after visit to the site and giving status upto December 31, 2020 before January 18, 2021.