Breaking the law with impunity

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">Government apathy, it seems, is nothing new when it comes to getting your grievances addressed. However, in probably what is a one off incident, orders have been passed by the administration but there has been no compliance with them on the part of the enforcement agencies. <br />For the past 12 years the residents of Sector 11 and 14 Indira Nagar have been running from pillar to post trying for the implementation of the orders passed by no less than the PMO’s office for the closure of brick kilns within municipal limits.Says Gaurav Singh, an advocate at the High Court who has been making futile attempts to get the 55 odd brick kilns operating in the area closed down, “these kilns are responsible for a number of problems in our residential area, sound and air pollution aside, their owners are flouting several laws with impunity. We have approached every official and office and despite having the official orders to shut these kilns, no one is ready to go against political will and goondaism,� he rues.<br />In the past, the High Court had given clear cut instructions regarding city buses and tempos in a writ petition no. 2102 (M/B) of 1997 wherein to reduce pollution, vehicles older than 5-9 years were not to be allowed to ply within city limits. Yet trucks more than 20-25 years old continue to run to and fro from the kilns via a service road just 5 metres wide. “But who listens? We are paying a heavy price for the apathy and corruption. Last month, an eighteen-year-old girl died after being knocked down by one of these trucks. The people here are developing problems like hearing loss, insomnia, chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, emphysema and a number of respiratory allergies. Why should we be subjected to such torture?� avers Gaurav.<br />To give the concerned official an idea of the magnitude of the problem, residents of both the sectors had had a pollution check done. The SPM levels in samples taken at a height 10 metres in the area touched an alarming 674.86 Ug/m against the permissible 200, and decibel levels as high as 98.0dB during day and 86.0dB during the night were recorded. The permissible level is 55dB. Though residents in these areas have now approached the National Human Rights Commission, which has directed their case to the DM Lucknow,�for appropriate enquiry and action at his end,� most of them are skeptical about a solution. “The LNN, UPPCB, PMO, SP Traffic all are aware of the problem, yet they prefer to maintain a stoic silence,� laments Guarav, who is now receiving threats from the brick kiln owners wanting him to back off from the issue.<br /><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">anjali.singh@ timesgroup.com</span></div> </div>