Dalmia Bharat Cement under NGT scanner

Rourkela, Jan 8: Dalmia Bharat Cement factory located at Rajgangpur is under the scanner of the National Green Tribunal. The Green Court has recently ordered a probe regarding its environmental compliances. Expressing dissatisfaction over the report of an authorized committee, the NGT has ordered a fresh report on the environmental hazards dispensing into the environment. According to the complaints of the peripheral people, Dalmia Bharat Cement is supplementing environmental pollution in the peripheral villages. As a result, normal living is getting difficult in the nearby villages due to the floating dust particles with increasing air and water pollution due to cement production. On the other hand, the company is taking no peripheral development programmes in the affected areas rather illegally encroaching tribal people’s recorded lands influencing some district level officers. As a protest against the monopoly of the company authorities, Dr. Jayadev Dash, a social activist had filed a case with NGT. Accordingly, the NGT  had authorized a high power committee comprising Sundergarh Collector and Divisional Forest Officer to comply a report regarding the environmental nuisance caused by the Dalmia Cement. However, the Committee submitted a partial report which disgusted the Tribunal. Acting on this, NGT asked for a fresh and revised report on the company. Worth mentioning, the report has not been submitted so far.  At the same time, the cement factory is going to undertake a large-scale expansion which will worsen the environmental threat. Apart from NGT, the State Transport Authorities  (STA) had earlier issued directions to the company authorities to undertake special arrangements for cement shipments sparing public roads. However, the order is so far to be implemented, said Sudhanshu Sahu, an affected villager.