Ludhiana, July 22 -- In a development ahead of Tuesday's hearing at the National Green Tribunal (NGT), it has been confirmed by the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) that environmental clearance (EC) is mandatory for all common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) in Ludhiana.

This major revelation came in the official affidavit filed by the environment ministry in the NGT in response to the petition filed by the Public Action Committee (PAC), which had raised serious concerns over the operation of CETP plants without mandatory approvals.

Interestingly, during earlier hearings, CETP companies had taken a contradictory stand before the tribunal. Initially, they appealed for relief citing pending EC, but later...