Polluters Rewarded
By Ramesh Agrawal
04 March,
2008
Countercurrents.org
It is well known today to investors, economists, activists, and environmentalists that Chhattisgarh the central Indian state is a haven for inviting exploitation. With its rich mineral, water resources, “cheap” land and a lot of government subsidies, the state has attracted large investments in steel and power sector as well as mining. In the south eastern part of the state is Raigarh district, which was an “investment” non entity not till about a 5-6 years back. But in the last half decade it has emerged as sponge iron and power hub with world’s largest coal based sponge iron plant of Jindal group, adjoining the overgrowing town.
But it is not just the name Jindal but Monnet Ispat & Energy Ltd which already has an integrated steel plant at Raipur has selected Raigarh for expanding its wings in Raigarh. What is critical to note about the Monnet plant in Raigarh is the complete disregard of seeking clearance procedures for environment and pollution related matters. As per law Monnet should have started operation and production only after consent is granted by the concerned State Pollution Control Board (SPCB). There is clear evidence that the company started operation of a 0.3 Ml ton capacity sponge iron plant at Raigarh in March, 2006. But the Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board (CECB) granted mandatory consent to start production in May 2006.
From the very day of its installation Monnet did not care to comply with even a single condition imposed by the CECB. As a result, pollution has been rampant, with the villages around the plant bearing the brunt. Just a few meters away is the ‘Jawahar Navodya Vidyalaya’ a central government residential school with 600 students and teaching staff. The students here have been complaining of ailments like Asthma and other respiratory problems, headache, eye problems and skin infections. The principal Mrs. Razia Beebi wrote “the black smoke contains large amount of Carbon particles may also cause health hazards like cancer and the Principal has complained about the impact of the pollution on the health of students.
Acting on complaint CECB authorities inspected the School and plant on 19th March 2007 and found that pollution control equipments were not running. But, the board took no other action other than filing a “civil” suit against company on 4th April 2007. The then District Collector Dr. S.K Raju ordered to stop the production from plant. However, there is no evidence on whether the order was implemented even for a single day. The plant is running in full steam as of today.
What this implies is that the company is let off free to continue dabbling in illegalities.
In July 2007 another dimension to Monnet’s disregard for clearances emerged. Once again on complaint by the villagers, the story was repeated and this time another civil suit filed by CECB on 20th July, 2007, alleging that company has completed most of the construction work of 1.7 ML ton Integrated Steel Plant.
The timing of this is also critical. Just a few days after was when the controversial and incomplete public Hearing (mandatory as per the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006) was organised on 4th August 2007. According to the EIA notification, no work can be commenced on any project prior to mandatory Environment Clearance from Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). The grant of this has to be preceded by the preparation of an EIA report and a public consultation process. But not in the case of Monnet, which had started components of the plant expansion for which it was now seeking clearance. This is what the second suit of the CECB was all about.
With the above facts in mind, ‘Jan Chetana’ a local Environment Group served legal notices to CECB and District Collector demanding cancellation of public hearing on the above grounds. Copies of this were also sent to the MoEF which is the nodal ministry to grant environment clearances. Given these facts, the MoEF should have rejected the clearance for expansion and also penalized the company.
But this legal notice was disregarded by CECB, and showing their loyalty and dedication to company, neither did they cancel or postpone the public hearing nor did they inform the MoEF on this fact.
On 4th August, the public hearing started with strong protest from villagers and activist groups demanding cancellation of the public hearing based on the facts already highlighted. Police had to Lathi Charge to control the situation, and only after that the hearing resumed. Finally, it came to the point when it was Monnet’s turn to answer the issues raised during hearing. Monnet took the front of a representative of the EIA consulting group, Min Mec Consultancy Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi that had prepared EIA report for the project.
When questioned, the representative of Min Mec, could not answer the questions raised. He immediately acknowledged faults in EIA Report and nervously sought time for rectification. With this the administration had no option, but to agree to the wish of the of the EIA consultant and announced the postponement of the hearing for 15 days.
Here are some additional facts on the EIA report which the consultant had prepared way back in 2004 for a public hearing in 2007. While writing up, they simply ‘missed’ mentioning company’s existing plant at Raigarh. They also deliberately did not mention environmental impacts of Jindal’s world’s largest coal based sponge iron plant few km from Monnet’s site. Rajesh Tripathi, activist and member of “Jan Chetana”, said openly at the public hearing, “it will take a dozen or more pages if the shortcomings of the EIA report are to be pointed out.”
Unfortunately, postponement of public hearing or court cases did not make any difference. Monnet continued its work, business as usual. And almost as reward for this un-deterred and blatant disregard the MoEF, legalized all the illegalities by according environment clearance on 26th December 2007. The incomplete public hearing never did take place again.
Incidents like this throw up, several critical questions on working of Ministry and SPCBs. Do the Expert Appraisal Committee at MoEF really screen the EIA Reports before clearing projects for public hearing and do the SPCB bother to have a glance over EIA report before making it public for comments/suggestions and above all, is there remains role of court where two cases are pending against creating pollution and illegal commencement of work without mandatory clearance as cause of case has became null with grant of clearance by MoEF and grant of Consent to Establish by CECB itself who filed suit?
And Monnet, continues to operate without fear and without valid consent. Children of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya and residents of nearby village continue to live a polluted existence full of fear.
The author is an environment activist based in Raigarh, and is associated
with an environment group, Jan Chetana. Email address may be included.
Ramesh Agrawal
Satyam Kunj, Naya Ganj
RAIGARH (Chhattisgarh) India
Contact: +91-9301011022
