Himachal officials summoned over industrial pollution

Shimla, Sep 28 (IANS) The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Wednesday directed the Pollution Control Board Chief to be in the court during the next hearing of the case related to rising pollution in the industrial town of Nalagarh on October 5.

It also directed the Deputy Commissioner of Solan to file a reply within one week.

A division bench of Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Sandeep Sharma was informed that the pollution control board had built a common effluent treatment plant but a majority of the industrial houses had not been using it while disposing effluents.

The court sought the list of erring industries.

The bench also directed the Deputy Commissioner of Solan, the Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh Development Authority Chief Executive Officer and others to remain present in the court in the next hearing.

The court has treated as public interest litigation a media report that says that less than 50 per cent of industrial units were using the effluent treatment plant.

It was reported that the plant is treating 11 million litres waste per day as against the proposed 25 million litres.