Dehradun, Aug. 6 -- The National Green Tribunal's (NGT) principal bench in New Delhi has directed the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board (PCB) to submit a report on allegations that two brick kilns in Haridwar district were granted operational consent in violation of the siting criteria prescribed under the Environment (Protection) Amendment Rules, 2022. The bench of justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Dr Afroz Ahmad gave the order while hearing a petition filed by Pramod Kumar. The plea challenged the consolidated consent to operate authorisation (CCA) issued on June 14, 2024, to two brick kilns, alleging that they were situated within the prohibited distance from villages, educational institutions, temples, orchards and existing kilns. Under the amended sitting norms by the MoEFCC, brick kilns must be located at least 0.8 kilometres away from habitations and fruit orchards and at least one kilometre away from existing kilns. The applicant alleged that one of the brick kilns is located 483 metres from a mango orchard, 238 metres from Badpur Jatt village, 320 metres from Nirmala Devi Inter College and 500 metres from another brick field. The second kiln has allegedly been established within 671 metres of Nirmala Devi Inter College, 397 metres from Badpur Jatt village and less than 600 metres from temples and a school. The petitioner's counsel informed the tribunal that the distances cited in the application were based on Google Maps data and argued that the brick kilns were established after the notification prescribing the siting criteria came into force. The counsel also submitted that an appeal against the consent order could not be pursued because the authorisation was granted under multiple laws, including the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, and the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016, which provide different appellate mechanisms. After hearing the submissions, the bench instructed the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board to submit a detailed report clarifying whether the prescribed siting criteria had been complied with while granting the consent and to respond to the allegations raised in the petition. The matter has been posted on October 6, said a lawyer aware of the proceedings....