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Deputy Commissioner of Rewari district orders probe after people object
to high pollution from existing Daruhera industrial estate, which is
proposed to be expanded into Manesar-Bawal investment zone
The Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor project,
an Indo-Japanese mega
infrastructure project, is not going down too well with farmers in
villages whose lands are being acquired for developing the “global
manufacturing and trading hub”. Earlier this year, villages in Maharashtra had protested forceful land acquisition for the project.
Now villages in Haryana who have been opposing land acquisition for the
project registered their protest afresh at a public hearing organised
on October 31 for the expansion of Dharuhera industrial estate as part
of the Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor project.
People in the affected area on the outskirts of Delhi protested the
project, citing existing pollution from Dharuhera industrial estate
along NH-8 (Delhi-Jaipur road) with large manufacturing plants of
popular companies like Hero Honda Motors, Rico Auto Industries and
Sehgal Paper Mills. Following this, the deputy commissioner of Rewari, C
G Rajini Kaanthan, ordered an inspection of polluting industries on the
insistence of residents.
The existing Dharuhera industrial estate of the Haryana State
Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) and the
surrounding area is proposed to be expanded and made a part of the
Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor as Manesar-Bawal investment region. For
this, a public hearing was called, which is mandated as part of
Environmental Clearance procedure for such projects. The Delhi-Mumbai
Industrial Corridor project worth US $90 billion is being developed with
financial and technical aid from Japan. The project would be developed
along a 1,483 km corridor between the political capital and the business
capital of India—Delhi and Mumbai. The project is an industrial zone
spread across six states—Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan,
Gujarat and Maharashtra—and would include six mega investment regions of
200 sq km each.
The project is expected to be developed in three phases. The first
phase is proposed to be completed around 2021. More than 60 per cent of
Haryana state comes under the project. Four industrial nodes are
proposed to be developed in Haryana state—Manesar-Bawal Investment
Region, Faridabad-Palwal Investment Region, Kundli-Sonepat Investment
Region and Rewari-Hisar Investment Region. Manesar-Bawal is one of the
investment regions selected for development in the first phase of the
industrial corridor.
Land acquisition for the project was marked with violent protests
last year. When land acquisition started in more than twenty one
villages near the Bawal region, people blocked NH-8. The protest turned
into riots and four buses were burnt along the road last July.
Industrialisation v people
The public hearing of the project, called to discuss the
environmental aspects of the project, was attended by farmers from these
affected villages. They patiently listened to the consultants at the
hearing, but started protesting vehemently when their presentation
concluded.
“Don’t keep telling us stories. You say that’s the institutional zone
(pointing to the slide). Tell us how many schools or colleges would
come up there. We have heard such stories before. Can you point out one
school which has come up in this area?” asked Om Prakash, a resident of
Asalwas village. “There is only industrialisation, no development is
happening. Our sweet water, land, air, all is lost. Enough
industrialisation has happened. We don’t welcome the project.”
Effuent
from the industries is stored in an open pond, which has destroyed
neighbouring farms. The land has been rendered unfit for cultivation or
any other activity
People complained the existing industry is polluting the environment
and that there is least development in terms of education and income to
the people of the area. They complained of heavy influx of migrants from
other areas. The population more than doubled because of Dharuhera
industrial area, they said.
People also complained against industries next to their compound
walls. The consultants present started explaining the concept of green
belt as a mitigation measure, which outraged the crowd even more. The
residents then posed questions about the number of trees around existing
industrial units.
Noise pollution near schools, excessive air pollution and water
pollution, acquisition of community land were major concerns at the
hearing. D V Raghav, assistant general manager with HSIIDC, and Dinesh
Kumar, the state pollution control board regional officer for Dharuhera,
rebutted them. “We have inspected the plants earlier, the plants are
complying with standards,” they said.
The explanation irked the village residents further. “The chimneys
give out smoke which is visible to our eyes, the water colour is bad, we
could make out that the effluent treatment plant is not working and you
keep telling the plants are meeting the standard! How are we to
believe? Come with us and we can show you now the state of waste water,
and the water logging we have to suffer,” shouted Surender Singh of
Dodhai village.
Following the altercation, the deputy commissioner of Rewari placated
the crowd by ordering an enquiry to ascertain the pollution caused by
Dharuhera industrial estate. The industries will be inspected by a team
of community representatives, regional officer of the pollution control
board and HSIIDC by the end of this month.
Further action will be based on the inspection report orders. The
public hearing concluded with the authorities recording the opinions
expressed by people, which will be sent to the Centre for consideration
for grant of environment clearance.
Desh Raj Nambarlal, sarpanch of Dodhai village, said if things don't
change, sit-in demonstration on NH 8 road is the only choice for people.
“About 70 families have been affected by this effluent water flooding.
We have lost over 20 hectares of crops this year. We have given our
representations to the district collector, pollution control officer,
HSIIDC chairperson and many others. Now at the public hearing they have
promised some action within a month. If we don’t get any relief, then
the only way out is sitting on dharna on NH-8,” the sarpanch said.
Effluents destroy farms
Dodhai and Karnwas are two villages in the area which
have been severely affected by water logging and flooding by effluent
water. In Dodhai village, some residents were digging their land for
construction about a month ago and found water gushing out at a depth of
just one-and-half-feet. The area looks like a pond and is not fit for
any kind of activity now. Village residents allege the stagnation of
industrial effluent in the effluent water pond of Haryana State
Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) is the
main reason for water logging.
They also allege flooding of water from the water pond
affecting their farm lands. “Earlier also they used to dump water, but
the quantity was less. Industries have been mushrooming for the past
three years and the quantity of waste water discharge is increasing. It
just floods the plants which wither in this waste water. Last year also I
faced the same problem,” explains Surender Singh of Dodhai village.
HSIIDC has not built a common effluent treatment plant.
The effluent water is stored in around 35 hectares (depth: 1.5 metre)
by HSIIDC.
