BATHINDA, June 26 -- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought replies from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and others regarding an explosion in an illegal cracker factory at Singhewala village in Muktsar district, which left five people dead and 29 injured on May 30.

In an order dated June 5, a bench of judicial member Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member A Senthil Vel, the green body took a suo motu note of a news report published in HT on May 31 regarding the incident at the unauthorised cracker unit.

Quoting an HT report, the NGT order stated: "According to the news item, it is alleged that the factory operator managed to buy a huge volume of explosives and other material used in producing firecrackers without permission...