Plea says leather industry wrongly in 'white' category; NGT seeks CPCB, UPPCB reply

The leather industry (leather footwear and leather products, excluding Tanning and Hide processing, except cottage scale) has been wrongly put in 'White Category', the plea claimed. The applicant pointed out that the list is in conflict with the CPCB order, and the UPPCB cannot relax the norms for classification though it can make it more stringent.

The National Green Tribunal has asked Central Board of Pollution Control (CPCB) and Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) to respond to a plea claiming that the leather industry has been wrongly put under the “white” industry category in the state. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed the CPCB and the UPPCB to submit their stand before January 28, 2021.

“Let the CPCB and the State PCB file their response before the next date by email. The UPPCB may not issue any consent in the meanwhile, on the basis of the impugned list to the extent it is in conflict with the list issued by the CPCB,” said the bench, also comprising Justice S P Wangdi and Expert Member Nagin Nanda. The NGT was hearing a plea filed by UP resident Sharad Gupta against the UPPCB order of January 9, 2019 whereby a list of Green category and White category industries has been issued.  The leather industry (leather footwear and leather products, excluding Tanning and Hide processing, except cottage scale) has been wrongly put in 'White Category', the plea claimed.

The applicant pointed out that the list is in conflict with the CPCB order, and the UPPCB cannot relax the norms for classification though it can make it more stringent. The industries are classified into four categories — red, orange, green and white. White category of industries pertains to those industrial sectors which are non-polluting, such as bio fertilizers, medical oxygen, cotton and woollen hosieries, organic manure.

The NGT in an order had earlier held that the state pollution control board is bound by the categorisation given by the CPCB, except for making the norms more stringent..