Srinagar, July 24 (KNS): A cement hollow brick manufacturing unit in Naidkhai, Bandipora, was finally sealed by district authorities following intervention by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), after local residents struggled for over a year to get the unit shut due to environmental violations.

According to details accessed by KNS, the unit was operating in violation of pollution laws and was located dangerously close to a government higher secondary school and several residential homes. Despite repeated complaints by residents, including written appeals by the school principal and local villagers, the unit continued to operate.

In May 2024, the Jammu & Kashmir Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC) had issued a closure order under the Water Pollution Act, 1974 and the Air Pollution Act, 1981. However, the unit owner obtained a stay from the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Srinagar—an order which the NGT later declared beyond the CJM’s jurisdiction.

Petitioner Zahoor Ahmad Dar and his son Zahid Zahoor took the case to the NGT’s Principal Bench in New Delhi after being denied relief by local authorities and courts.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelOn January 21, 2025, the NGT ruled that civil courts had no jurisdiction over such environmental matters and directed the JKPCC to pursue the case with CJM Srinagar.

Following NGT’s instructions, CJM Aadil Mushtaq Ahmad vacated the earlier stay order on July 15, 2025, stating that the interim relief had no legal standing. The JKPCC immediately referred the matter to the Deputy Commissioner Bandipora, and the unit was sealed on July 22 by the local administration.

“We had lost faith in the system, but we are thankful to the NGT and JKPCC for their support. What should have been a small issue forced us to run from pillar to post,” said Zahid Ahmad, son of the petitioner.

Locals have welcomed the action and urged authorities to stay vigilant to prevent such violations in the future. (KNS)