ECC Elaka Sutnga to hold rally against illegal coke factories, decries Govt. apathy

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaAugust 26, 2021

The Environment Coordination Committee (ECC) of Elaka Sutnga along with its Women’s Wing held a meeting at Moopala Village on August 25 to discuss the refusal of the authorities to heed their voice and the government’s failure to protect the people from pollution emitting from the factories established and operating within the areas of human settlements. The ECC has therefore resolved at the meeting to hit the streets again and organize a public rally in which the thousands of affected villagers have declared to come out to support.

In a press release, Mehiwot Shadap, the Publicity Secretary of the ECC stated that the people are tired of the government giving false promises to take legal action against the coke plants as till date nothing has happened on the ground. Instead, the government is encouraging illegalities in the Elaka and the District as a whole, he stated, James P K Sangma the Minister in-charge of the Forest and Environment Department had been stated as saying that “all CTEs and CTOs are issued through proper channel and according to the book”. The ECC has raised the question on what grounds or by what rule book has the government granted permission to the high risk and hazardous factories to be established and allowed operated within the human habitation area? The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India has given a landmark judgment in 1986 which held that “permission to carrying out any hazardous industries very close to human habitation could not be given”. The ECC demands to know the rule book from which the minister concerned could supersede the judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court given that Coke oven factories are clearly mentioned in the First Schedule of the Factories Act item no 4 as hazardous process.

In response to the Chief Minister’s statement on the 20-08-2021 saying, “If any organization company firm or individual is operating coke plants without the necessary documents then please make the proof available to us and we will take immediate action”, the ECC is not surprised with such a statement coming from the Chief Minister. Shadap stated that asking for proof from the citizens every time the government is questioned is a regular defence mechanism used by the government or CM and now the government is behaving like a Court of law where the weak and the layman have to provide proofs of their own complaints.

Shadap further stated that “Right to pollution free environment” was declared to be a part of the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India in 1996 and protecting the life of citizens is the paramount duty of the government but the government of Meghalaya has failed to protect the lives of the people of the Elaka. Despite the agitation and protests of the people of the Elaka, the government has forcibly legalized the coke factories. A Coke plant which had been sealed by the DC for violating the guidelines and operating without proper documents has been issued a CTO by the MSPCB. This failure of the government has made the citizens lose their faith and confidence on the government to protect their lives. Therefore, the people have decided to come up with a different move this time, the statement said.

The ECC has also in the statement come out against the local Benami holders of coke factories and urged them to stop threatening the ECC members and its supporters and to stop protecting the outsiders from Assam, Haryana, and Rajasthan on their illegal businesses in the Elaka.