Authority: High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh at Jammu
Order Date: 22 July 2026
Case Overview
- Petitioners: M/S Sona Brick Industries Udhampur, represented by Advocate Ankur Sharma.
- Respondents: Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (Commissioner/Secretary, Department of Forests, Ecology and Environment), Member Secretary J&K State Pollution Control Committee, and Deputy Commissioner Udhampur, represented by Advocates Chetna Manhas, Monika Kohli, and Meenakshi Salathia.
- Writ petition WP (C) No. 2406/2023, along with CM No. 5646/2023 and CM No. 7577/2025, sought renewal of the licence for operating the brick kiln, alleging the absence of a valid Consent to Operate.
- Respondents contended that the petitioner lacked such consent; the petitioner subsequently produced Consent Order No. PCC/digital/24061902484 dated 28‑05‑2024 issued by the J&K Pollution Control Committee, granting consent to operate the brick kiln.
Court Findings & Directions
- The Court admitted the Consent Order into the record and disposed of CM No. 7577/2025.
- Without expressing any opinion on the merits, the Court directed the Deputy Commissioner, Udhampur, to consider and decide the petitioner’s application for grant/renewal of the licence, requiring a reasoned and speaking order within three months from the date a certified copy of this order is made available to him.
- The Court clarified that all questions remain open for consideration by the competent authority in accordance with law and that, should the petitioner remain aggrieved by the decision, he may avail himself of any remedies available under law.
Final Outcome
- The writ petition and all connected applications are disposed of; the renewal of the licence is to be decided by the Deputy Commissioner, Udhampur, within the stipulated three‑month period.
Topics: Environmental Regulation, Industrial Licensing