NGT seeks UPPCB reply on 'wrongful listing' of leather industry

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday sought the response of the Central Board of Pollution Control (CPCB) and Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) on an application alleging that the leather industry has been wrongly put under the white category of industries in the state.

The industries are classified into four categories -- red, orange, green and white. White category of industries pertains to those industrial sectors which are non-polluting, such as biofertilizers, medical oxygen, cotton and woollen hosieries, organic manure, etc.

A bench of NGT Chairperson Adarsh Kumar Goel was hearing an application filed by applicant Dr. Sharad Gupta against the order issued by the state pollution board in 2019 whereby the leather industry, which includes leather footwear and leather products, excluding tanning and hide processing, except cottage scale, were "wrongly put" in the white category.

"In view of the above, let the CPCB and the State PCB file their response before the next date by email. The UPPCB may not issue any consent in the meanwhile, on the basis of the impugned list to the extent it is in conflict with the list issued by the CPCB," the bench also comprising Judicial Member S.P. Wangdi and Expert Member Nagin Nanda stated. The matter will now be heard on January 28, 2021.

The applicant pointed out that the list issued by the UPPCB is in conflict with the order of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The UPPCB cannot relax the norms for classification though it can make it more stringent, Dr. Gupta stated.

The Green Tribunal, in an order dated January 22, 2020 in appeal of the Kerala State Pollution Control Board vs. Appellate Authority had held that the state PCB is bound by the categorisation given by the CPCB, except for making the norms more stringent.