Residents of Zirakpur protested at Village Nagla

By Ravi bharti Gupta

Today 10th January 2019, at Zirakpur a protest was performed by the residents of Nagla Village, residents of Escon Arena and Maya Garden City at Village Nagla in Zirakpur against a red category industry by the name of Ajay Gelatin operating from the residential area. This is to bring to your notice that a factory by the name of Ajay Gelatin Products (P) Ltd., which manufactures Gelatin, is operating in the region of Nagla Village in Municipal Area of Zirakpur, near Chandigarh, Punjab and is polluting the entire adjoining area by not following statutory environmental rules and regulations. Moreover, this industry has been operational since 1990 without any statutory approvals.
The said industry is in the middle of densely populated residential area wherein there are approximately 40,000 residents and a Reputed School within the radius of 1 Km of the industry. The Industry had taken ‘Consents to Operate’ for the year 1989 -1990 only and no further approvals are taken from the Authorities since then. The site was visited on 12.10.2018 by the officials of PPCB and it was found that the factory is in operations in spite of the fact that PPCB had issued a notice to the industry not to operate till the directed rectifications are done and the decision was taken that the industry shall not restart its manufacturing activities without developing adequate area (minimum 6 acre) for utilization of its treated wastewater as well as without obtaining ‘consents to operate’ under the Water Act, 1974 & the Air Act, 1981. But till today nothing has been done regarding the same. As per the consent letter issued by Punjab Pollution Control Board, Ludhiana, there are many regulations which the industry is supposed to follow, such as, it was required to plant at least 1000 trees per acre along the boundary of the industrial unit which they have not adhered to since decades.
On the survey by PPCB officials it was seen that the required rectifications as per the directions of PPCB were not done and as a result the Electricity connection of the industry was disconnected on 15-11-2018 and instructed that they cannot start the operations till the directed changes are not done, but the Electricity connection was reinstated on 22-11-2018 without any changes and without taking any approval from the Appellant Court or High Court. The residents of in and around Residential Societies of Nagla Village have also filled a caveat against them.
Without any ETP or water treatment plant, the Hazardous and toxic liquid waste is being deliberately drained out in the open land around the factory and also in the Ghaghar river whose water is used and consumed by the residents for their crops and animals, which is directly endangering their lives. The said industry is not treating the polluted air and the strong foul smell of skin of dead animals, which is used as raw material by this industry, can be felt in the area. It is difficult for the people residing in the area to breathe. As the factory is in the middle of densely populated residential area and is a threat to the lives of the people residing in the vicinity of the factory. There is a reputed operational school, Manav Mangal Smart School, in the vicinity, where in over 2000 students are enrolled and the factory waste liquid and polluted air is a huge threat to the students, teachers and staff of the school.
Though PPCB has issued number of notices and on every inspection they have found that Effluent Treatment Plan (ETP) and Air Pollution Control Device (APCD) were never operational in this industry, no action has been taken against the industry. The factory is operating on Deh Shamlat and had also taken a loan on Deh Shamlat Land
Now Soil Conservation Department and Punjab Pollution Control Board is also favouring the Industry by helping them in their unlawful motives as today i.e. 10-01-2019, against the decision of Courts and even after Stay on the decision, which is a Contempt of Court, people from Ajay Gelatin and Soil Conservation department did contempt of court and entered into the lands of others to dig and lay pipes for the discharge of waste from the factory.

An immediate intervention is required to cease the operations of this factory on immediate basis to save the lives of the people and innocent children residing around in this area.