The National Green Tribunal has stepped in to prevent a major milk-supply disruption in North India, allowing Mother Dairy’s Pilkhuwa (UP) dairy plant to resume operations. The NGT ruled that the CAQM’s closure order (28 October) will be treated as interim, and the Commission must now take a fresh, final decision after giving Mother Dairy a proper hearing.
What Triggered the Shutdown?
CAQM had ordered an immediate closure of the Pilkhuwa unit, alleging:
- The plant was operating three boilers, while its consent allowed only two.
- Stack emissions on Sept 19 exceeded 80 mg/Nm³, breaching the prescribed limit.
- The CAQM argued that violations were “apparent and explicit,” making a show-cause notice unnecessary.
Following CAQM instructions, PVVNL cut the power supply on Nov 10, rendering the entire unit non-operational.
Mother Dairy’s Arguments Before NGT
Mother Dairy stated:
- The closure was issued without notice or hearing, violating natural justice.
- The unit handles ~9 lakh litres per day, sourced from 70,000–90,000 farmers.
- About 1 million litres of raw milk stored in silos was at immediate risk of spoilage.
- The company committed to not operating the third boiler, and to comply fully with emissions norms.
The NGT noted that the shutdown had severe consequences for farmers, milk supply, and stored milk, and that the lack of hearing was a procedural violation.
What the NGT Ordered
The Tribunal’s key directions:
CAQM’s closure order treated as interim
→ Final order to be issued only after hearing Mother Dairy.
Mother Dairy can operate the plant
→ Must strictly follow all environmental norms and CAQM instructions.
PVVNL must immediately restore electricity
→ To prevent milk spoilage and restart operations.
Mother Dairy must file a supplementary reply within 3 days
CAQM must pass a final decision within 10 days
The NGT cited precedents including Ekdant Structure Pvt. Ltd. and Om Prakash Khetan, reinforcing that even in pollution matters, natural justice cannot be bypassed unless extreme urgency is proven.
Read More: Dairy Queen Rival M&M Custard LLC Declares Bankruptcy: What’s Really at Risk
What’s at Stake
The Pilkhuwa plant is a critical node in Mother Dairy’s Delhi-NCR supply chain. Sudden closure would have:
- Disrupted urban milk availability
- Hit livelihoods of tens of thousands of farmers
- Caused large-scale milk spoilage
- Damaged procurement confidence across UP and western India
What Happens Next
The CAQM will now:
- Conduct a hearing
- Review Mother Dairy’s compliance history
- Examine boiler operations and OCEMS data
- Issue a fresh, final order within 10 days
Until then, the plant runs normally — but under strict environmental compliance.
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