Charcoal hot mix plant opposed near residential area

Rajiv Mahajan

Nurpur, Updated At : 07:49 AM Oct 31, 2024 IST

Irate residents of Bhali gram panchayat of Jawali sub division hold protest demonstration against setting up of charcoal hot mixing plant near residential area in the panchayat on Monday evening. Tribune photo

Residents of Bhali gram panchayat under Jawali subdivision of Kangra district held a protest demonstration last evening at Takhniar village in the panchayat where the Pathankot-Mandi fourlane construction company had installed a charcoal hot mix plant allegedly within 50 metres of the residential area. Demanding immediate stopping or shifting of the plant at another place away from the residential area, the residents raised slogans in support of their demand against the construction company for setting up the plant in their area. They held their demonstration near the plant.

Panchayat uppradhan Munshi Ram, who led the protest demonstration, lamented that the residents of the gram panchayat had been raising objection ever since the construction company engaged by the NHAI for highway widening project had installed this hot mix plant in March 2023 but neither the NHAI authorities nor local government authorities acted to stop the operating of the plant in the gram panchayat.

The residents lamented that this plant was causing environment pollution after emission of hazardous gases and had become a public health hazard. They pleaded that as per norms of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), a hot mix plant could not be installed within 500-metre radius of rural habitation.

Meanwhile, Aman Rana, a local social activist who had been raising this public issue for the past over one year, said he had approached the administrative and pollution control board authorities and NHAI’s construction company several times against installing this hot mix plant in the residential area but in vain. “After running from pillar to post I have filed a Civil Writ Petition (CWP) in the state high court in May this year making the project director, NHAI Shimla, State Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board, Four lane construction company and local administrative authorities as respondents in the petition. The petition is still pending in the court,” he said.

Rana, through the CWP, has pleaded the court to direct the respondents to stop operation of the hot mix plant immediately and to shift to another location away from the residential area.

Rohit Kumar, HR Manager of Bharat Highway Construction Company, when contacted, said that the plant had been set up in Bhali gram panchayat after procuring No Objection Certificates (NOCs) of local panchayat and state Pollution Control Board.