JOIN USThe High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday issued an emergent notice to the Karnataka Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) over the closure of a factory.
A division bench of acting Chief Justice H G Ramesh and Justice P S Dinesh Kumar passed the orders on a petition filed by Jayesh Krishnan, the manager at IJM Concrete Product Private Ltd, who challenged the notice issued by the KSPCB for closing down the company.
The petitioner submitted that the factory was functioning in accordance with the law and that all the necessary licences, permission and consent had been obtained from the authorities concerned.
Consent renewed
The firm even obtained the KSPCB's consent on January 17, 2006, under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1961. The consent was renewed on February 27, 2015.
Thereafter, the petitioner applied for the renewal by paying the required fees.
On October 30, 2017, the KSPCB called the petitioner for a meeting to discuss a complaint raised in 2012 by local residents on air and noise pollution. The petitioner was given time until June 30, 2018, to relocate the industry. However, on January 18, 2018, the KSPCB served him a notice, asking him to shut down the business operations.
Aggrieved by the KSPCB's move, Krishnan moved the court, seeking the quashing of the impugned notice.