Following a visit by Cachar Deputy Commissioner Dr S Lakhsmanan on September 3 this year at Sonacherra, Dwarband, a poultry farm set up just last year, named Barak Valley Layer Farming Pvt. Limited, is passing nights for fear of being uprooted any day post September 25.
Yes you all heard it right, for Deputy Commissioner Cachar, Dr S Lakhsmanan, who finally understood the realities of ‘ande ka funda’, has ordered for a closure of this farming unit, under Section 133 of Cr PC.
The story goes as such, that, this farm became operational last year in the month of September, though; work began for setting it up, from the month of June itself, minus, the permission and approval of the Deputy Commissioner’s office, BDO’s office, Labour office, and even the green signal of the Gaon Panchayat (GP).
“The farm which specializes on operating poultry activities of poultry eggs, culled meat and manure, with capacity of 48,000 layer birds, made life hell for the residents living in and around it,” Dharmendra Tiwary, secretary of Parivesh Suraksha Committee, an organization said.
Speaking to Northeast Now, Dharmendra Tiwary, said, “First of all, last year, we filed many complaints to the Deputy Commissioner’s office, pollution control board, to highlight the plight in which around 1500 residents near the farm and almost 10,000 people indirectly, were suffering for it. Nothing much happened. Then, I started filing RTIs to know more of it, to which, I found that such a farm cannot be set up close to the road or even close to any river, which this farm was blatantly violating.”
He added, the farm which was spreading a foul smell making the residents sick, was also letting its waste outlets directly back upon them, or to the small tributary that goes on to connect with Chatla river, a water source that the residents need for consumption on a daily basis.
Unable to cope any further, Parivesh Suraksha Committee was formed with Partha Sarathi Bhattacharjee as its President and me as its Secretary, taking three other Gaon Panchayats on board, Dwarband, Loharband and Baghbahar, who were suffering, said Tiwary.
Not only that, this farm was running its premises with hooked wires from the main lines from the road, which was brought to the notice of the Deputy Commissioner on his visit to this place on September 3, Tiwary said.
Before winding up his conversation Tiwary said, “We are not against setting up of any plant or farm that generates employment, but, don’t want one, that can bring health hazards. We have slogged for more than a year to come out of this nuisance, and I along with rest of the residents can only keep our fingers crossed to see it removed from this place at the earliest, and likewise put to rest, ande ka funda.”