Press Release: 200 attend People’s Public Hearing on Industrial Pollution at Baddi

Independent Panel records testimonies and expresses serious concerns about the state of the environment in BBN

Close to 200 people affected by Industrial Pollution in Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh Industrial Area attended a public hearing organised in Baddi today. The hearing was organised by Him Dhara, Environment Research and Action Collective and Him Parivesh to provide an open platform for pollution and mining affected people from across the Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh area to make their submissions to a eminent panel of experts. The panel included Dr. Rajesh Kumar, Head of School of Public Health, PGI Chandigarh, Anil Gupta, Scientist, People’s Science Institute, Dehradun and Senior Journalist Rakesh Lohumi.

Close to 60 written submissions were received by the panel and 25 oral testimonies were recorded. These included problems of illegal discharge of effluents, air pollution and dumping of hazardous waste along river beds, in farms and open spaces. Complaints were made about Khurana Chemicals at Maganpur, Jaypee’s Cement Grinding Unit at Bagheri, Greenply unit at Panjhera, Kangra Steel mill and Eastman’s battery unit at Kripalpur, Amico Tex at Bir Palassi, Sara Textiles at Bhatiyan, Him Chem at Kheda, Vardhaman Auro Mills at Baddi, Gilvet Ispat at Jharmajri. Apart from these industries, the issue of river bed mining leading to scouring of the river bed and the pollution of stone crushers was also raised.

The public complaints came all out on the poor role of the Pollution Control Board in monitoring and regulating the industries. Shweta Narayan of Community Environment Monitoring, Chennai, deposed before the panel and presented the findings of the ambient air samples taken at Bagheri and Baddi. She said “it is the right of the community to know what’s the state of the air they breathe and water they drink. The Pollution Control Board has been extremely secretive and non transparent about its operations in the area”. She revealed the findings of the air samples showing that parameters like fine dust levels (pm 2.5) get routinely violated and pose a major health risk. Air samples have shown presence of heavy metals like mercury, lead, manganese, nickel and cadmium in the air which could be fatal for the local populations.

Members of Himdhara also shared the data collected from the Pollution Control Board through file inspections and RTI Act, which shows that more than 50% of the 2063 units are operating without valid consent. Further, they added that rarely are show cause notices issued to units and in cases where these are issued, there is virtually no follow up by the Board. 60% of the units do not have Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP)  in the area and ground water is severely polluted. A study by Punjab University published in 2011 indicates presence of heavy metals above permissible limits, they shared.

D.K Sharma, Senior Scientific Officer of the Pollution Control Board who attended the hearing also placed his views in front of the panel. He explained that Board was doing all it could to deal with the pollution and said that the Central Pollution Control Board had not yet raised any objections about the Himachal Board’s monitoring methods. People at the hearing remained dissatisfied with the response of the Board officials.

The panel at the end of the hearing gave their preliminary observations said that the region is in a critical state as a result of the pollution. Anil Singh of PSI observed, “Failure of industries and government authorities to regulate pollution has now made it clear that communities have to take on the responsibility of the environment and bring the violators to account”. Agreeing with him, Rakesh Lohumi, added that community monitoring and transparent sampling is the way to make the Pollution Control Board more accountable. Dr. Rajesh Kumar was extremely moved and concerned with the testimonies but said that the larger problem was visible and pollution in the air could be felt. “There is no need to prove that there is pollution and it has impacts on the health of the people, many studies have already established these links. It is a matter of concern for the coming generations, our children”.

The panel will put together a detailed report on the hearing and submit the same to the authorities.