The Madhya Pradesh High Court has taken serious note of thousands of industries operating without valid environmental permissions across the state. Hearing a suo motu public interest case, the Indore Bench expressed concern over large-scale violations of pollution control laws and directed the State government to act urgently. The matter arose from a newspaper report highlighting widespread non-compliance by industrial units.
Background of the Case
The case began as a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) registered on December 8, 2025, after a local newspaper reported that nearly 5,961 industrial units in Madhya Pradesh were functioning without valid consent from the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB).
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Taking note of the report, the High Court issued notices to the Chief Secretary of the State, the Principal Secretaries of the Environment and Industries Departments, and the MP Pollution Control Board. The court sought clarity on how such a large number of units were operating without mandatory environmental approvals.
During the hearing, only the Pollution Control Board filed a response. The State government, through its counsel, informed the court that it had not yet received the Board’s detailed report.
Court Observations
The bench, comprising Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla and Justice Alok Awasthi, examined the response submitted by the Pollution Control Board. According to the data placed before the court, most of the non-compliant units belonged to the healthcare sector, mines, and stone crushers-categories classified as “red” and “orange” due to their high pollution potential.
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The court was informed that:
- 4,256 notices were issued asking units to renew their consents
- 2,556 closure notices were issued under the Water and Air Pollution Acts
- 390 units faced closure orders for repeated violations
- 45 cases were filed in courts for continued non-compliance
The Board also stated that several units had either shut down or were operating with expired permissions, and the data on the official XGN portal was being updated.
“The bench observed that the matter involves serious violations of environmental laws and cannot be taken lightly,” the order noted.
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Court’s Concern Over Delayed Action
The judges expressed dissatisfaction over the slow response from the State authorities. They noted that although the Pollution Control Board had taken steps, coordination among departments was lacking.
The court recorded that as of January 9, 2026, at least 4,877 industrial units were still shown as operating without valid consent. Verification was ongoing, but the court stressed that such a large number of defaulting units raised serious environmental and public health concerns.
“The State must respond promptly to an issue involving violation of statutory provisions of the Water and Air Pollution Acts,” the bench observed during the hearing.
Decision and Directions
The High Court directed that a copy of the Pollution Control Board’s report be immediately supplied to the State counsel. It further instructed the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh to personally ensure coordination among all concerned departments.
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The court also ordered that:
- A senior government officer be appointed as Officer-in-Charge (OIC) for the case
- A consolidated and reasoned response be filed before the next hearing
- Failure to comply may result in personal appearance of senior officials before the court
The matter has been listed for further hearing on February 9, 2026.
Case Title: In Re: Suo Motu PIL Regarding Industrial Pollution
Case No.: WP No. 48095 of 2025
Decision Date: January 12, 2026
