The bench of Justices Augustine George Masih and Ashok Kumar Verma, while disposing the matter directed the PPCB chairman to consider and take appropriate steps.The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Punjab Pollution Control Board to take appropriate steps against the proprietor of a rice mill from whose sheller paddy husk is being carried by air to a farmer’s field damaging the crop.
The petitioner, Virpal Singh, through Advocate Ferry Sofat, had contended that the husk from the rice sheller being run by Nitin Gupta, proprietor of Hari Har Rice Mills at Patiala, situated adjacent to his farm, was landing on his crop damaging them.
Referring to the order issued by the secretary to Government of Punjab, Department of Science, Technology and Environment in October 2013, Sofat contended that as per Clause 3 (vi) of the Guidelines for Handling, Transportation, Storage and Disposal of Ash from Husk Fired Boiler, the rice shelling unit and saila plants are required to close the shed or the chamber from at least three sides and must have a roof with access only from the front side for the purpose of removal of ash. However these guidelines have not been followed by Gupta leading to a situation where the husk from his sheller is carried by air onto the agricultural fields of the petitioner.
The petitioner submitted that he had approached the PPCB several times with various representations but without any result, following which he moved the HC.
The bench of Justices Augustine George Masih and Ashok Kumar Verma, while disposing the matter directed the PPCB chairman to consider and take appropriate steps.
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