Onlykashmir.in News Desk
The Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee has ordered the closure of ten car washing and automobile service stations across Budgam district this year for allegedly operating without mandatory environmental clearances, directing authorities to disconnect their electricity and water supply with immediate effect.
The action follows inspections carried out by the Pollution Control Committee, which found that the establishments were functioning without obtaining the statutory Consent to Establish and Consent to Operate required under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. The Committee also observed that the units had failed to adopt prescribed pollution control measures despite having been served notices earlier in the year.
Among the establishments ordered to shut are M/s Rahim Motors at Industrial Estate Rangreth, owned by Abdul Hamid Bhat; M/s Yatoo Service Station at Chadoora, owned by Bilal Ahmad Yatoo; M/s Turbo Motors at Kralpora, Chadoora, owned by Adnan Mehraj Bhat; M/s Allie Automobiles at Mochowa, owned by Muhammad Amin Allie; M/s A Star Working Point at Mochowa, owned by Shahnawaz Ahmad Allie; M/s Bismillah Motors at Chadoora, owned by Muhammad Rafiq Thakur; M/s Vehicle Care at Chadoora, owned by Zareena Akhter; and M/s A-One Car Wash at Chadoora, owned by Ishfaq Ahmad Sheikh.
Under the closure orders, the Executive Engineers of the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited and the Jal Shakti Department in Budgam have been directed to disconnect electricity and water connections to the units, while the Deputy Commissioner, Budgam, has been asked to ensure implementation of the directions on the ground.
The Pollution Control Committee maintained that car washing units fall under the Orange Category of industries and cannot legally operate without statutory consent and adequate pollution control infrastructure in place. It warned that any further violations of environmental laws by these or other units would invite stringent action, including permanent closure and legal proceedings.
The move is being seen as part of a wider crackdown by environmental authorities in Kashmir on unregulated commercial establishments that discharge untreated waste and contribute to groundwater and soil contamination, particularly in areas with high concentrations of automobile service outlets operating outside the formal regulatory framework.
