Noida: UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) has been asked to come up with an action taken report on a polluting chemical unit in six weeks. The Shamli unit was “dismantled”, UPPCB has told National Green Tribunal (NGT).On Sept 3, NGT, while hearing an execution application, allowed UPPCB six weeks more in the matter pertaining to the unit, which was ordered to be closed by the tribunal in Dec last year.UPPCB has told the tribunal through an affidavit that Kuber Traders has been issued a show-cause notice directing it to explain why environmental compensation of approximately Rs 17 lakh — calculated at Rs 6,250 per day for the period of violation from Aug 17, 2024 to May 14, 2025 (271 days) — should not be imposed.The principal bench of the tribunal, comprising chairperson Justice Prakash Srivastava and expert member Dr Afroz Ahmad, agreed to allow more time to the board after it informed the tribunal about the notice.UPPCB chief environmental officer Anand Kumar Anand in his affidavit has also said that the board is collecting the material for the period prior to Aug 17, 2024 and accordingly action will be taken for imposition of environmental compensation.Responding to the Dec 16, 2025 order of the tribunal in which it had directed UPPCB member secretary to conduct an enquiry and take action against the regional officer of Muzaffarnagar regional office of UPPCB for letting the chemical factory — manufacturing hazardous chemicals — operate without necessary clearances, the board official has stated that several regional officers were posted between May 2019 and Aug 2024. “Hence an inquiry is being conducted as to why the existence of the illegally operating unit does not come to light,” the respondent’s affidavit reads.The joint committee constituted by the tribunal passed a closure order for the chemical factory after noting that necessary clearances were not obtained from the board.When the order of the tribunal was not followed, the applicant of the original application, Dr Amit Kumar, had approached the tribunal again for execution of its order, pointing out that the member secretary, UPPCB, had neither filed his report after inquiry nor taken requisite action.To support his averments, the applicant referred to photographs and the reply of UPPCB given against his RTI application of March 24, 2026.Explaining its position, UPPCB has now stated that it had issued a closure order against the unit on May 14, 2025 and the regional officer had also sent a letter on the same day to the executive engineer, electricity distribution division-IV, UP Power Corporation Ltd (Shamli) for disconnection of electric supply so that operation of the unit is ensured to be closed.“Pursuant to the letter the disconnection of the unit was made the same day but on request the executive engineer, electricity test division, Shamli made the electric connection in the unit on Aug 31, 2024,” the board official said.He, however, clarified that when an inspection of the project site was made on Aug 5 this year, it was found that the unit had been dismantled and no equipment, machinery or tanks were found there. “Electric connection was also not found,” the affidavit said, attaching photographs from the site.Perusing the documents on record and having heard the counsel representing UPPCB, the tribunal said that action has been initiated in compliance with the Dec 2025 directions.“It is stated that an inquiry is in progress to identify the erring officer. The affidavit also states that the closure order has been made effective and the process of imposition of the environmental damage compensation is in progress,” the bench noted, allowing six weeks to the board to come up with detailed compliance by the next date of hearing on Nov 26.While disposing of OA 1225 of 2024, the bench comprising chairperson Justice Prakash Srivastava and expert member Dr A Senthil Vel in Dec last year had summoned Muzaffarnagar RO of UPPCB Geetesh Chandra, seeking an explanation about letting the chemical factory operate without necessary clearances.A query was put to the RO to disclose if any effort was made to find out the violation of the unit prior to Aug 17, 2024 but he failed to answer.
