Guwahati: Hundreds of residents from seven villages in Arunachal Pradesh’s Ruksin area marched in protest on Wednesday, urging authorities to shift a silicon factory out of the Niglok Industrial Growth Centre (IGC) to a more environmentally suitable, non-residential location.
The demonstrators, led by Ruksin ZPM Aruni Jamoh and joined by members of the Adi Students’ Union (AdiSU), various community leaders, and numerous local women, began their rally at the Niglok IGC playground and proceeded to the Ruksin General Ground.
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The protest was organized under the banner of the ‘IGC Pollution-Affected People’s Forum’.
The villagers blamed M/s Aether Alloys LLP, the company running the silicon plant, for polluting the air and nearby water sources, warning that the contamination threatens public health in Ruksin and its neighboring villages.
Prior to the protest, the forum had submitted a formal complaint to the East Siang deputy commissioner, asking the administration to intervene and shift the factory from the industrial zone.
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Protesters also accused the company of flouting several provisions of the Factories Act, 1948, and called on government agencies to take punitive action.
The issue caught the attention of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which took suo motu cognizance after a local newspaper report highlighted the environmental damage allegedly caused by the factory.
In response to ongoing concerns, Industries Commissioner Saugat Biswas visited the Niglok IGC in late April along with senior officials from the departments of industry, trade & commerce, and skill development. During the visit, the officials promised to direct pollution control authorities to conduct tests and evaluate the environmental impact of the silicon factory before taking corrective measures.
Despite those assurances, residents claim that the government has yet to implement any concrete pollution control mechanisms. Forum president Opir Paron later submitted a petition to the Chief Minister via the Ruksin Additional Deputy Commissioner, demanding swift action to relocate the silicon unit.
The forum also called on the state to stop allowing polluting industries in the IGC, dismantle stone crushers already operating there, encourage the development of agro-based units, and establish green zones around the industrial area to protect the local ecosystem.
Forum members warned that unless the government meets their demands, they will intensify their agitation in the coming weeks.