The AP High Court on Tuesday upheld the decision of the AP Pollution Control Board to close down 19 rice mills located at Karmanghat area of the city and the decision of the Appellate Authority in securing `1 lakh as performance guarantee on each of the rice mills for shifting from the area.

While dismissing the pleas by the rice mills' owners, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar ruled that the pollution caused by the rice mills, whether it was in terms of air pollution or noise pollution, infringes on the fundamental rights of the nearby residents to a clean environment.