Kanoon Ki Dastak
Srinagar, March 27, 2025 – The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has stayed the closure orders of two stone crushers in Budgam, directing the Deputy Commissioner to consider their pending No Objection Certificate (NOC) applications within two weeks.
Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi passed the order while hearing a petition filed by the owners of M/s Shalimar Builders Stone Crusher and M/s Majid Stone Crusher, challenging the J&K Pollution Control Committee’s (PCC) closure orders issued on January 8, 2025.
The PCC had ordered the immediate shutdown of these units under environmental protection laws, citing the absence of mandatory clearances. The closure directives also instructed authorities to disconnect electricity and water supplies to the units.
The petitioners argued that they had already applied for NOCs, which were processed by the Tehsildar but remained pending with the Deputy Commissioner, leading to the shutdown. The court directed the DC Budgam to decide on the NOC applications within two weeks and instructed the authorities to process the petitioners’ requests for consent to operate thereafter.
Until then, the court ordered that the impugned closure orders should not be acted upon.