Students at a rally held in August to demand stricter pollution control norms

Feb. 10: Residents of the Amrigog area are up in arms against a coke-manufacturing unit in the locality. At a public meeting today, the residents claimed the unit was polluting the environment and posing health hazards.

The residents demanded that the unit be closed down as it was causing severe air pollution in the locality.

Balram Pokhrel, a resident of Amerigog, alleged that the pollution generated from burning coal has led to serious health hazards among the residents, particularly children.

?Smoke and carbon particles emitted by the unit envelops the whole area making our lives miserable. Our homes are covered in soot which also contaminate the neighbourhood?s sources of drinking water,? Pokhrel said.

The management of the coke unit, however, denied the charges and claimed they conform to all the pollution control norms. ?The campaign is motivated and launched by someone with vested interests,? a source at the coke unit alleged.

Echoing Pokhrel, another resident, Narayan Sapkota, alleged that ever since the industrial unit was commissioned, many residents living in its vicinity have developed breathing problems. Sapkota also blasted the state government and the Pollution Control Board for permitting a coke producing unit to operate in a residential area.

The residents also demanded that the government earmark specific zones for setting up coke and other similar industries. The agitated residents also questioned the wisdom of allowing coke units to come up in the residential areas. Pollutants from these units may lead to a rise in the incidence of disorders like cancer, tuberculosis, heart ailments and skin problems among the local population.

?We demand an inquiry to find out who has allowed the polluting industries like coke and cement units to come up in a thickly populated area such as this and whether the units are adhering to the pollution control norms or not,? Durga Khatiwoda, a local resident, said.

Over the years some areas in the city?s outskirts like Sonapur have witnessed rapid industrialisation with a spurt in coke industries. Five coke units are already operating alongside NH 37 in Sonapur area and couple more are said to be in the pipeline.

In September last year, similar protests were held by the residents of Sonapur area and even a PIL filed in Gauhati High Court. Subsequently, the court issued notices to seven parties including the state government, Assam Pollution Control Board, deputy commissioner of Kamrup (metropolitan) and a coke unit.