“Instead of addressing the issue of industrial manufacturing units violating EIA norms, JKPCC’s court reply focuses on mining blocks—completely unrelated to the case”
K Koushal
Jammu’s industrial landscape is increasingly turning into a regulatory mess, as the Jammu & Kashmir Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC) blatantly disregards environmental norms. The latest revelations indicate that setting up hazardous industrial units in Jammu has become disturbingly easy, with JKPCC granting permissions without mandatory Environmental Clearance (EC), in clear violation of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006.
Moreover, the Committee has the alleged audacity to mislead the Hon’ble court (National Green Tribunal) pertaining to the facts and figures related to the setting up of manufacturing industrial units.
As per available records, on 23 January 2025, JKPCC submitted a report regarding suo-motu action against industrial setups violating EIA rules. The report, rather than addressing the core issue, exposes the alarming extent of JKPCC’s regulatory failures.
“JKPCC in its reply stated that Kathua alone houses 429 industrial units, categorized as 37 units in Red Category (Highly Polluting) 219 units in Orange Category (Moderately Polluting) and 173 units in Green Category (Least Polluting),” reads the document (in possession of The Typewriter).
It adds, among these, 16 industrial units require mandatory Environmental Clearance (EC) as per EIA norms. Shockingly, while all 16 units have been granted Consent to Establish (CTE), only nine have secured Consent to Operate (CTO)—indicating a dangerous oversight in enforcing compliance.
According to highly placed sources the JKPCC’s negligence is evident from the manner in which it has granted CTE without ensuring the completion of the environmental clearance process.
“EC is a rigorous process that includes public hearings, environmental impact studies, and regulatory approvals—all aimed at safeguarding public health and environmental integrity,” said sources, adding that the JKPCC has overlooked everything just to accommodate few influential unit holders in an alleged lieu of huge money.
They further stated that a glaring loophole has been exploited—single-furnace industrial units require easier approvals, but several units operating multiple furnaces have bypassed EC altogether, which raises eyebrows over the integrity and functioning of the JKPCC.
Sources shared that one particularly alarming case involves a firm namely M/s Jupiter that acquired 200 to 250 kanals of government land.
“Instead of seeking EC approval from Delhi, as mandated, the firm skipped the EC process and directly applied for CTE—a move that should have been flagged by JKPCC,” said sources, adding that instead, JKPCC issued the CTE without ensuring EC compliance from competent authorities.
The very first CTE issued in favour of M/s Jupiter Aluminium Industries Private Limited was granted on 02-08-2023 under orange Category without any condition of Environment Clearance (EC), However, the process and capacity mentioned in the project report indicates prior environment Clearance under 2006 EIA Rules.
The mockery of the system does not end here, an industrial unit that should have been classified under the Red Category—which demands strict environmental monitoring and compliance—was instead ‘purposefully’ placed in the Orange Category on August 23, 2023.
“Most of the environmentalists know that Red Category requires extensive pollution control measures, continuous monitoring, and stringent regulatory oversight, whereas Orange Category has relatively lax regulations, lower environmental monitoring requirements, and an easier approval process,” sources said and added that by wrongly categorizing hazardous units as Orange, JKPCC made it easier for industrialists to evade compliance.
However, in September 2024, The Typewriter exposed JKPCC’s malpractices in issuing CTEs. Following this report, JKPCC was forced to reclassify the unit under the Red Category—but with a loophole. The condition required the project holder to obtain EC, but no such clearance was ever secured.
“Instead of enforcing EC compliance, JKPCC renewed the CTE under the Red Category—once again enabling the unit to proceed unchecked. This time, JKPCC invoked a special condition stating that the unit holder must not begin construction without first securing EC,” asserted sources, adding that yet, ground realities tell a different story.
They alleged that the massive concrete structures have already been built and machinery has been installed, whereas the unit holders have also applied for CTO, despite having no EC.
“This blatant disregard for environmental laws exposes JKPCC’s collusion with industrialists, allowing hazardous units to bypass scrutiny while the public remains in the dark,” said sources.
From the available documents, it appears the JKPCC’s response in court (National Green Tribunal) has been misleading and evasive. Instead of addressing the issue of industrial manufacturing units violating EIA norms, JKPCC’s court reply focuses on mining blocks—completely unrelated to the case. This ‘deliberate’ misrepresentation of facts raises concerns about the transparency and integrity of the regulatory body.
“The repeated bending of environmental laws raises a crucial question: Who stands to benefit from these violations? The hon’ble court (National Green Tribunal) must ask the JKPCC, how did multiple-furnace units evade EC when even single-furnace units require clearance?, why did JKPCC issue CTEs without EC, despite EIA norms clearly mandating prior approval? And how did a unit meant for the Red Category end up in the Orange Category, only to be later reclassified after media exposure? ,” sources asserted.
The sources regretted that the ease with which hazardous industrial units are mushrooming in Jammu, facilitated by JKPCC’s willful negligence and regulatory manipulation, signals an environmental crisis in the making.
