The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Bone crushing unit runs into trouble

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 01, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Bone crushing unit runs into trouble

V.N. Harinath

Villagers to file public interest litigation

HYDERABAD: Environmentalists, villagers and the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM) are opposing the bone factory planned to be set up at Tummaloor (Ranga Reddy district) as it would pollute water source, Timmai tank, and affect villagers who earn their livelihood by growing vegetables. Besides, it would raise unbearable stink.

The factory, permitted in 2002 with a capacity to crush 100 tonnes of animal bones brought from eight States, was to be launched on May 21. But it was put off apparently in the face of resistance from villagers.

Against norms

Environmentalists, led by K. Purushotham Reddy, quoting the Supreme Court ruling, says that no factory should be located in the vicinity of a water body. They say because of its location on a higher plane, effluents would flow into the water body, which also contains borewells that supplies water to villagers.

Prof. Reddy, president, Citizens Against Pollution, who visited Tummaloor recently, described the factory as the outcome of a "big fraud" on several counts -- laying of road in protected forest area, getting clearance on a forged document purported to have been issued by the Sarpanch, K.S. Rao, permission by the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) without studying environmental implications.

The villagers who plan to file public interest litigation are vehement in their opposition to the factory as views of officials concerned, residents and Sarpanch were not considered before giving permission.

They accuse the APPCB of adopting a negligent attitude, asking them to approach court for redress after issuing the NOC.

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