Green court directs CPCB to issue guidelines for all poultry farms having over 5,000 birds

Insisting that those running poultry farms with more than 5,000 birds cannot be considered small farmers, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) asked the Central Pollution Control Board to issue guidelines for them on following environmental norms.

The Principal Bench of the NGT, headed by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, observed that a person running a poultry farm of more than 5,000 birds cannot be called a small farmer nor their pollution potential left unregulated.

The tribunal was hearing a plea against the alleged inadequacy of the regulatory regime by way of the consent mechanism under the Water and Air Acts to prevent the degradation of the environment, on account of unregulated operations of poultry farms.

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The bench asked the CPCB to issue revised guidelines to all state pollution control boards in terms of the above order within a month, directing states to implement the same.

The tribunal also said the argument that considering those running poultry farms with fewer than 25,000 birds as small farmers in the unorganised sector is untenable and against the precautionary principle of environmental law.

Insisting that regulation of all poultry farms having more than 5,000 birds is necessary, the bench said that guidelines should apply to all consents or renewals hereafter for the poultry farms.

Earlier, the NGT had directed the CPCB to revisit the guidelines for classifying poultry farms as a 'green' category industry, exempting their regulation under various laws.

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