Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad, the city of glass and bangles, will now be surveyed for air pollution caused by its glass units operating within the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) covering the Taj Mahal and 40 other protected monuments.

The world famous glass industries which have been in news since 1990s for environmental hazard will now be inspected for pollution that they might be causing and air samples from entire area of Firozabad will be collected for the same.

Recently, the Ministry of Environment & Forests had also written to the Agra administration about the expansion of glass industry and against capacity expansion of these gas based units in the TTZ. The National Green Tribunal on Wednesday directed the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board, the Central Pollution Control Board and the senior officers of the Taj Trapezium Zone to conduct a survey of entire area of Firozabad where these units are.

The Tribunal passed the directions while disposing of a petition filed by Social Action for Forest and Environment (SAFE) which claimed that about 60 glass units were operating in the Taj Trapezium zone without the consent of the pollution control board and should be closed for causing air pollution.

Uttar Pradesh government, however, informed the Tribunal on Wednesday that these very units had subsequently obtained the requisite sanction and they have all now shifted from coal to natural gas for their operations.

It also submitted that the glass industry is a non-polluting industry and the only hazardous chemical to be used if ferric chloride, which is used as an agent to add lusture to the glass bangles.

It was, however, argued by advocate Rahul Choudhary, appearing for SAFE, that serious air pollution is resulting from these glass industries. He submitted that it was releasing high respiratory particulate matter.

“We dispose of this petition with direction that the UPPCB, CPCB long with senior officers of the Taj Trapezium zone shall conduct survey of the entire area Firozabad where glass industries are operating and collect samples. If the same are found polluting, necessary action be taken as per law,” said a Bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar.

The Bench further directed that the team “shall examine if even the use of Natural Gas can cause pollution and if so, what control measures have been taken.”