The National Green Tribunal has rapped the Delhi government for not closing down steel pickling industries which are operating without permission in the national capital and gave it two weeks time to comply with its order.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said that the tribunal's order has not been implemented despite the city government's assurance that it will take action against them.

The tribunal also ordered the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to file an affidavit and state the reason for not implementing its direction.

"By way of last opportunity, we grant time to NCT, Delhi to file compliance report within two weeks…The DPCC shall also file affidavit as to why they have not complied with the order of the Tribunal and issued directions under the relevant provision…for closure of these industries and consequent to it disconnection of electricity etc," the bench said in a recent order.

It fixed the matter for hearing on August 11.

The AAP government had earlier told the NGT that appropriate legal action will be taken in collaboration with the DPCC against steel pickling units in accordance with the law.

The assurance has come after DPCC told the bench that pickling activity is included in the "prohibited" activity list in Delhi Master Plan 2021 and the period granted by the Delhi High Court to continue such activities in accordance with law expired on September 22 last year.

It had further said the decision of the Delhi government was still pending in this regard. However, the pollution monitoring body assured the NGT that it would not grant consent to operate to such offending industrial units.

The bench was hearing a plea of NGO All India Lokadhikar Sangthan seeking execution of an order by which the green panel had directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to take action against stainless steel pickling industries.

Steel pickling is the process of removing impurities, such as stains and inorganic contaminants from the metal.

Earlier, DPCC had issued closure notices to several industrial units, mainly steel pickling units, in Wazirpur Industrial Area here for discharging harmful effluents in drains that empty in the Yamuna.