Dhemaji: Residents of eight villages under the Ruksin circle in Arunachal Pradesh’s East Siang district, bordering Dhemaji, have raised fresh complaints against the ferro-silicon factory established at the Industrial Growth Centre (IGC) in Niglok.
The villagers, who are on prolonged agitation against the factory unit, submitted a fresh complaint to the Ruksin ADC on Thursday, stating that the silicon factory operated by M/s Aether Alloys LLP obtained the No-Objection Certificate (NOC) in an illegal manner and installed the factory unit without conducting any ‘public hearing’.
The agitating villagers, in the complaint, reiterated that the silicon industry is affecting natural resources and the community’s health in the area, thereby posing a serious threat to their future generations and nature-based livelihoods.
Local gaon burahs of the Ruksin area, who also filed a similar complaint before the ADC, stated that representatives of the silicon company misled them and obtained the NOC by providing false, incomplete, and manipulated information about the ferro-silicon factory.
The GBs have lamented that they are bearing the brunt of public anger, as affected people are questioning them for giving consent for setting up the silicon factory without knowing its consequences.
“In fact, the company representatives did not explain the project design to us, so we were unaware of the heavy factory and its subsequent implications. Now we observe that the factory is posing serious environmental issues, besides creating health hazards and social disturbances,” said Niglok Head GB Talung Saroh, while demanding that the government authorities “initiate necessary steps to suspend the NOC of the silicon factory run by M/s Aether Alloys LLP.”
The protesting villagers have demanded that the authorities suspend the operation of the factory and institute an independent expert panel to verify and investigate the rising complaints, and also conduct a ‘public hearing’ regarding the silicon factory row, as the pollution issue concerns the lives and properties of local people.
To mark their continued protest and fresh demands, several hundred villagers, including a large number of women and youth, took out a foot march along MMJ Road and National Highway-515 today and raised various slogans against the silicon factory.
The protesters later assembled at the Ruksin general ground, organised a meeting, and discussed their demands.
It may be mentioned that the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) Kolkata bench, following a news report published in this daily, took suo motu cognisance of the alleged large-scale environmental pollution caused by the ferro-alloy factory operating in Niglok IGC.
Later, IGC Pollution Affected People’s Forum leader Dishing Tagi filed a formal petition outlining the problems and public grievances. The matter came up for hearing on March 9 before Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi (judicial member) and A Senthil Vel (expert member), filed by the Industrial Growth Centre Pollution Affected People’s Forum (IGCPAPF) and Dishing Tagi.
The petition alleged that the ferro-alloy factory was releasing pollutants that are adversely affecting villages, including Niglok, Ngorlung, Ralung, Rayang, Linka, Mangnang, Mikong, and Mirem, under Ruksin circle of East Siang district.