Jalpaiguri, July 21: Around 5,000 residents of Birpara came out on the streets to protest against proposed construction of a railway siding in the town.
Organised by the Dalgaon Birpara Human Welfare Society, the rally demanded the decision of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) authorities to construct a a separate platform and tracks for goods transport in the Dalgaon station of Birpara be postponed. Residents alleged that such a railway siding would lead to air pollution in the town, severely increasing the risk of different air-borne diseases like tuberculosis.
?We will not allow the NFR to construct a railway siding in the middle of the town. We had been told earlier that the railways have elaborate plans to develop Birpara. But the construction of a railway siding for loading and unloading of goods will lead to an increase in air pollution and pose a threat to the 50,000 residents of the town,? said Subhasish Pal Choudhury, joint secretary of the society.
According to the agitating residents, material like cement, limestone, dolomite, coal dust and slag will be loaded and unloaded at the proposed siding. ?Once the yard starts functioning, there will be severe air pollution. Medical experts have confirmed that this can lead to diseases like tuberculosis, bronchitis, bronchial asthma, various skin diseases and even cancer. We have thus decided to launch an intensive movement and will oppose such construction in the middle of the town,? Purushottam Sarawgi, an executive member of the society, said.
The decision taken by railway authorities has also prompted residents to write to the state pollution control board (PCB). ?We have also written to the PCB which have instructed the railways to find an alternative place for constructing the yard and have asked them to consult residents and local authorities before implementation of the project,? Pal Choudhury said.
PCB officials corroborated the residents? opinion and Biswajit Mukherjee, senior law officer of the West Bengal Pollution Control Board, said: ?We conducted hearings on the issue and decided a yard for loading and unloading of cement and limestone would affect the health of the residents if built within a residential area. We have asked the railways to find an alternative place.?
Mukherjee added that similar problems had cropped up in Kalaikunda and Jhargram where the yards were finally closed down.