DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand high court (HC) on Tuesday refused to grant relief to brick kilns in Haridwar found violating environmental standards and instructed the State Pollution Control Board (PCB) to continue legal proceedings against them. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ritu Bahri and Justice Rakesh Thapliyal heard a petition from around 40 brick kiln owners in Haridwar district, who challenged the penalties imposed by the PCB.
The brick kiln owners sought a stay on the PCB orders which had levied fines amounting to Rs 14 crore for environmental violations and had ordered the closure of their operations due to non-payment.
During the hearing, the pollution board’s counsel told HC that the board’s actions were in compliance with directives from both the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and HC. The green tribunal had earlier directed action against 168 brick kilns in Haridwar for environmental degradation, and HC had also passed orders in response to a public interest litigation (PIL).
Despite multiple notices, the brick kiln owners failed to pay the Rs 14 crore penalty, leading to an order in Aug, mandating the closure of all non-compliant kilns. After reviewing the petition, HC denied any relief to the brick kiln owners and directed the PCB to continue enforcing the law.
