Power to Chhattisgarh's polluting industries cut

A Chhattisgarh environment panel has ordered that power supply to three sponge iron units here be cut after residents of the surrounding villages protested that industries were responsible for large scale pollution in the area, officials said Sunday.

A team of Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board (CECB) raided Siltara and Urla industrial areas on the outskirts of Raipur last week amid complaints of gross neglect to pollution control measures and also for not using mandatory electro-static precipitator (ESP) machines.

CECB officials informed that power supply to three units - Corporate Ispat, Satyarth Steel and N.R Sponge - was disconnected in the past one week and raids would continue against other polluting industries.

The action comes after hundreds of villagers of the surrounding areas led a string of protests against the units alleging they are responsible for widespread pollution. The Siltara and Urla areas have at least three dozen sponge iron units.

Devjibhai Patel, ruling Bharatiya Janata Party legislator from Dharsiva assembly seat, slammed his party government for "failing to force industries to follow pollution control measures".

Patel said that many villagers were suffering from several diseases, including skin cancer, because of pollution by the industries.

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( 205 Words)

2009-07-05-14:26:31 (IANS)

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