SHILLONG:
The Environment Co-ordination Committee (ECC) Elaka Sutnga, East Jaintia Hills district, has written to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma to dismantle the 29 Coke Plants Unit in the Elaka.
In the letter to the chief minister, the ECC expressed its gratitude to the government, after many complaints and discussions pertaining to the mushrooming of the coke oven plants and their impact in the Elaka, it is learnt that as per the Right to Information (RTI) findings from the MSPCB on February 21, 2022, these 29 units have been granted with Refusal of Consent by the concerned regulatory authority.
According to the co-ordination committee, the dismantling should be done following the RTI findings that the 29 coke plants have been issued with Refusal of Consent by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB).
Secretary of the ECC , Pynbait Sutnga, informed that the 29 units have been refused the grant of consent by the Consent Committee vide minutes of meeting held on December 7, 2021.
According to Sutnga, those units were granted Refusal of Consent after they were found operating without prior consent from the Board thereby violating Section 25 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 and section 21 of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981.
Sutnga said that in view of the circumstances, the ECC, Elaka Sutnga along with the Headmen (Waheh Shnong) of the Elaka on behalf of their respective village Dorbars requested the chief minister to take immediate action as to pass necessary orders directing that the 29 units be dismantled within three) months.
“Failing to comply with such order/orders the same if you may consider to authorize the concerned District Magistrate to act in this behalf as to dismantle all the erring coke plants,” Sutnga said.
On the 14 units which have been granted Consent To Operate, Sutnga said that as per his findings and understanding these coke plants will never be allowed to operate in their respective location as all of these are within residential areas.
“The same has also been stated in our rejoinder affidavit as to counter the government from backing that the 14 units have vested rights. However, yes those 14 units may have vested rights but those rights they have cannot supersede the right of citizens to breath fresh air as guaranteed under article 21 of the constitution many times Supreme Court have passed guidelines in this regards,” Sutnga added.