Administration intervened and temporarily shut down a construction plant in Tripura after villagers and students voiced strong resentment and held protests. Agitating villagers alleged the plant was polluting the ambience and degrading the environment.
A construction company of another state namely ‘Civil India’ set up a plant and installed a mixture machine at Maharanipur area under Teliamura sub-division in Tripura. The Civil India Company is engaged in renovating the National Highway in the area.
In the machine, Bitumen and stone chips were combusted. This resulted in continuous emission of bituminous smoke.
“It is good that the National Highway would be renovated. However, after the mixture machine was commissioned in the plant, villagers started facing problems due to pollution. Thick and black smoke can be seen billowing heavily”, local villagers said.
The situation turned worse and people were facing breathing problems. Moreover, there is a school near the plant area. Students are also encountering breathing problems since after the machine was installed.
“Apart from breathing problems, the bituminous dust and ashes are contaminating our mid-day-meals and cannot eat food due to irritable smells”, students alleged.
The smoke was also affecting the agricultural produces and farmers too raised their voices against the construction company.
“The smoke is causing damage to our crops and farmers are on the verge of incurring losses. Continuous emission of the smoke is degrading the environment of the area”, farmers alleged.
Ultimately, students along with local people raised objections and demanded that the plant be shut down immediately. Locals gheraoed the plant and held a demonstration today afternoon.
DCM of Teliamura Sub-divisional Office, Sajal Debnath and local gram Panchayat Pradhan Rupa Das rushed to the plant site. The DCM asked the construction company to produce relevant papers. After inspecting the papers, Debnath said, the plant will remain shut temporarily until the Pollution Control Board conducts an inspection. He also said that a view of the State Agriculture department on the issue is also an important determinant.
