New Delhi / Agartala, Feb 22 (TIWN): The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed all industrial units situated in severely polluted areas across the country to install primary effluent treatment plants within three months, failing which they will be shut.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar also directed municipal corporations and other local bodies to put up advertisements to ask these industrial units to install treatment plants.

In a series of directions, the court asked state pollution control boards to take criminal and civil action against defaulters. 

It said the defaulting units will be allowed to resume operations only when they install these plants.