Green tribunal orders sealing of polluting North Delhi junk market

The report said that monitoring of noise levels at three places showed that it was “exceeding permissible levels at all three points”. The vice-principal of the school had also informed DPCC that the market was causing noise pollution.The NGT bench directed the closure of the market after perusing the report.

“The area was allotted by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) even though it knew it was for a junk market. In all fairness, DDA, being a public authority, should have avoided the same or it should have chosen some other place. It should have kept in mind the interests of the schoolchildren,” the bench said.

The bench directed the area’s deputy superintendent of police and the local sub-divisional magistrate to ensure strict compliance of the order. The bench was hearing a petition filed by the Gokalpur residents’ welfare association against noise and air pollution caused by the “unauthorised” junkyard.

Advocate Rajiv Nanda, who is representing the RWA, said, “These shops lead to air and noise pollution. They create a lot of noise because they cut car parts up and then sell them. This also leads to high levels of air pollution due to the release of fine metal particles into the air.”