Stone crushers seeks report from KSPCB

The High Court of Karnataka on Monday directed the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board to submit, within a week, a report on the stone crushing units functioning in the State.

During the hearing of a batch of petitions by stone crusher operators, the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice D H Waghela and Justice Nagarathna directed the KSPCB to furnish details of the stone crushing units operating with the certificate of consent for operation as required under Karnataka Stone Crushers Act. The Bench also sought information on the crushers functioning without the statutory consent. It directed the State government to furnish information on the number of applications filed seeking permission to set up crusher units, the applications considered and those rejected.

Status quo ordered

The High Court has ordered status quo on shifting of Jai Bhavan slum in Jayanagar, Bangalore to Kudlu in Anekal Taluk. The petitioners - residents of the slum - had claimed that they were supposed to be rehabilitated in the same locality and the Karnataka Slum Clearance Board had approved a working plan in that regard. They had alleged that the working plan was abandoned without notice.