Gurdas Kumar
Early Times Report
Vijaypur, Mar 30: The foul smell and smoke emanating from industrial units continues to be a major problem for the people living in the vicinity of industrial area in Samba.
The residents of Chak Manga, Chak Manga Rakwal, Badheri, Nanakchak, Manohar Gopala Burj and Tanda village are worst affected. They complain that they were facing severe health issues like eye, skin and respiratory issues.
As per data provided by District Industrial Centre, there are 248 industries including 18 pesticide, 15 cement, 9 pharmaceutical (bulk drug),15 chemical, 20 plastic and rubber and 15 metal units functioning in Industrial Growth Centre, Samba. Buti Ram, a 65-year-old resident of Chak Manga, said that they feel suffocated and bound to breath in this polluted air as industries close to their house emits smoke with a foul smell for 12 to 16 hours in a day. "Respiratory diseases, burning eye and skin allergy diseases is common problem which people are facing here. It also posing a threat to the life of our kids," he said.
"The foul smell is unbearable and at times, it becomes difficult even to breathe. The intensity of the pollution is so strong in the evening and morning hours that one could see a thin layer of black soot on the rooftops of the houses. Neither we can sit in porch nor can we stand on the terrace," said Ramesh Singh, a local residing in the vicinity of industrial area.
We have complained to the authorities many times but nobody seems to be bothered, he said.
An official source said, "Under the norms, the red category (heavy polluting) industrial units must be equipped with an effluent treatment plant to treat liquid waste, air pollution control device and a bio-digester to treat gas. Though some units had installed pollution control measures, but these were not run most of the times as their running cost was high," he said. An official of the pesticide unit denied that pesticide industries were causing pollution. He said they had installed the best pollution control measures. The State Pollution Control Board inspects our factories on a regular basis and every year, we get pollution clearance report from them, he added.
"We always monitor everything and no lapse on part of unit holders is acceptable. However, we will send a team to ascertain the root cause of the problem regarding emission of foul smell and dust. The strict action will be taken against the units that fail to comply with the prescribed norms," said Deepak Abrol. |
