Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Gauri Maulekhi Vs Union of India & Others dated 10/12/2021.

Grievance in the application is against inadequacy of regulatory regime by way of Consent mechanism under the Water and the Air Acts to prevent degradation of the environment on account of unregulated operation of poultry farms.

The court was informed that there was no justification for exempting poultry farms below 25000 birds even when the Tribunal had said that all poultry farms above 5000 birds were required to be brought under the consent mechanism and even after proposing such regulation in March 2021 guidelines, based on expert study, as noted earlier.

The NGT said that all poultry farms above 5000 birds will be covered by the guidelines latest from January 1, 2023. The siting criteria should apply to all consents/renewals hereafter for the above size of the poultry farms. The NGT directed the CPCB to issue revised guidelines to all the State PCBs/PCCs in terms of the above order within one month.