Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, May 8: The residents of Kathua, Govindsar, Chack Ram Singh and adjoining polluted industrial area took out a protest demonstration against the Pollution Control Board (PCB) and District Administration against the larger industrial pollution due to Cement Industry at Govindsar and Kathua city.
The protesters including the women in large number blocked the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway for more than one hour and raised the slogans against Pollution Control Board. The protest was held under the banner of Anti-Pollution Movement.
The protesters also burnt the poster and banner of Pollution Control Board (PCB) and widely condemned the attitude and corrupt practices prevailing there. They said one more grinding unit of cement at Industrial Estate Kathua is being opened for which they held public hearing second time despite the regular protests by the people.
The long queue of vehicles was seen on the road and traffic was fully suspended on the Highway causing many hardships to people in this scorching heat of Summer. Mohinder Singh one of the protesters alleged that more than one dozen cement industries are already running in the area causing both air and noise pollution and the new generation is taking birth as handicapped. Now the Pollution Control Department and District Administration wanted to set up another Red Category Cement Industry despite the larger protest by the people. In this connection a public hearing was arranged despite the fact that past hearing has got negative response.
He asked that why another public hearing was arranged, why Pollution Control Board (PCB) is so interested into the matter and why State Government is interested to open Red Category Industry in the area where pollution level is already on peak and why the lives of poor people are put on death track said Parveen Koushar .
She alleged that PCB wanted to open the industry forcibly putting the lives of people in the area to a great risk. She said that despite the large protests and complaints the district administration is maintaining silence on the issue.
The Additional Deputy Commissioner Kathua Dr Bharat Bhushan visited the spot and assured the people not to allow setting up of any cement industry without the consent of common man. He said the public hearing is also not in favour of cement plant and the administration is going to send report on ground situation to higher ups. The traffic was restored after more than one and half hour on the National Highway.
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