Upcoming Cement factory at Chakla possess imminent danger to Kishanganj

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By Dr. Mumtaz Naiyer,

(Postdoctoral Scientist, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton Southampton, UK)

When the entire Bihar was betrothed in “Bihar Assembly elections 2015”Environment Ministry has inaudibly given the environment clearance (EC) to J K Lakshmi Cement’s proposed project in Bihar in mid-October 2015. As per the proposal, the new project which would cost about Rs 300 crore will come up in 14.02 hectares at Chakla (Bhedyiadang) village in Kishanganj district. Bhedyiadang falls within the 2 Kilometre radius of the AMU Kishanganj campus where the infrastructure work of the varsity is in progress.

Interestingly no group or political party has raised this issue which possess serious threats to health and agriculture production. This is very much surprising how JK Lakshmi Cement acquired green nodfor setting up of a clinker grinding unit in this green belt known for high quality tea production apart from pineapple, jute and rice.As a concerned citizen and native of this district I would like to mention that we are not opposed to industry, but “big NO” for setting up a cement factory in this green belt. There is a long pending demand for agro-based industries like tea processing plants, pineapple processing plants and jute mills by the local farmers.

Why big “big NO” to the cement factory?

Cement industry involved in air pollutionis one of the 17 most polluting industries listed by the central pollution control board. The aerial discharge of cement factories consist of Particulate matter, Sulphur dioxide and Nitrogen oxides producing continuous visible clouds which ultimately settle on the vegetation, soil and effects whole biotic life around, as a result the whole ecosystem around the cement factory is subjected to extraordinary stress and abuse.Reported by Baby et al. 2008 cement dust contains heavy metals like chromium, nickel, cobalt, lead and mercury pollutants hazardous to the biotic environment with impact for vegetation, human health, animal health and ecosystem, prolonged exposure can also cause serious irreversible damage to plants and animals.

Other reported effects of cement dust on plants include reduced growth, reduced chlorophyll, clogged stomata in leaves, cell metabolism disruption, and interrupt absorption of light and diffusion of gases, lowering starch formation, reducing fruit setting inducing premature leaf fall and leading to stunted growth thus causing suppression in plants and in animals it leads to various respiratory (Asthma) and haematological disease, cancers, eye defects and genetic problems.

Kishanganj is the only district in Bihar which produces tea at larger scale.Tea production is all about the quality of leaves and the quality of leaves depends on the chlorophyll content. There was a recent study by Chaurasiaet al.2013 entitled “Effect of cement industry pollution on chlorophyll content of some crops at Kodinar, Gujarat, India” The investigators reports that the amount of chlorophyll in all plants that are away from cement plant have more chlorophyll than thatof near to the cement industry.

If this proposed factory by J K Lakshmi Cement comes up in the Chakla (Bhedyiadang), this will have serious ramification on the AMU Kishanganj campus which will be a ~226 acre residential university. I have not seen any cement factory in the vicinity of a residential university in India. I think Environment Ministry has overlooked the AMU Kishanganj campus while giving EC to J K Lakshmi Cement. Moreover, this area is densely populated having a village at every 1 Kilometre. The worst sufferers will be the farmers and small peasants as their agriculture production will go down as a result of air pollution.

I would like to request Bihar Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar to look into this matter and liaise with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change, Govt. of India. If they have flouted rules pertaining to Industrial Policy Location then it must be corrected soon to avoid any face-off between the company and local residents, activists and AMU Kishanganj campus.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author.