Delhi civic body seals 516 illegal units in 1 week

The North Delhi Municipal Corporation has sealed 516 factories and warehouses running illegally in residential areas in last one week.

The action was taken on the basis of a list of 51,837 industries provided by the Delhi State Industrial & Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) to three municipal corporations in June. According to DSIIDC most of these units are still operating from non-conforming and residential areas, despite providing alternative plots to some in industrial areas.

On the basis of this list, an intensive survey was carried out in different residential areas by the three municipal corporations and action was taken in south, north and east Delhi.

“In last one week, we took action in areas under Narela zone such as Mundka, Kamruddin Nagar, Nilothi, Swarn Park and Tikri Kalan. Our licensing teams found 297 factories and warehouses running polluting units for producing plastic bags, rubber or chemicals. Besides, 219 other factories were sealed in Shahbad Daulatpur, Prahladpur and Pooth Khurd for running factories in non-conforming areas,” said a senior north corporation official.

“These industries, which should never have come up in the first place, have been operating from these areas without licences for decades now. The matter was discussed in the joint meeting of officials from DSIIDC and MCD,’ said the North Corporation official.

Earlier, the National Green Tribunal and the Delhi High Court had repeatedly pulled up the corporations over mushrooming of polluting industries in residential areas. The civic bodies were asked by the court to seal these illegal units in a time-bound manner.

As per Delhi Master Plan 2021, all non-conforming areas fall under the jurisdiction of the corporations where only 28 domestic small-scale industries, like matchstick, incense sticks and garland making, etc are allowed. The violators include electroplating, dyeing, pickling and forging units, among others. DPCC said there are 70,000 to 1 lakh such industries operating in the city.

Our licensing teams found 297 factories and warehouses running polluting units for producing plastic bags, rubber or chemicals. Besides, 219 other factories were sealed.

First Published: Nov 02, 2018 08:56 IST