Saturday, March 15, 2025

Cement cos clarify on allegations

Date:

Share post:

spot_img

From Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: A day after the Centre named several cement plants as eco offenders in Meghalaya, two leading companies – Amrit Cement Industries Ltd and Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd – have denied that have violated any environment laws in the State.

A spokesman from the Amirt cement even submitted documents which showed that the company did get environment clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest before it started its operations.

The company is yet to actually produce cement till date, the spokesman said. The company is abiding by all environmental and forest rules with due clearance from the Centre, the State Government and the traditional bodies in Meghalaya, he claimed.

Cement giant, Lafarge Surma Cement Ltd (LCS) which is extracting limestone from Meghalaya for its cement plant too claimed that it was adhering to and complying with top environmental norms in its mines here as adopted by the company in its operations in top European countries.

The Union Minister for Environment and Forest Ms Jayanti Natarajan had told the Parliament on Tuesday that as many as 34 companies, public sectors units and even autonomous bodies are violating environment norms in Northeast including Meghalaya. Most of the cement plants named by her are located in Meghalaya.

The Minister was replying to a question of Kumar Deepak Das, AGP MP from Assam in the Upper House. Das also raised serious concern over open cast coal mining in the region. The Minister said that as per the reports of regional office of the Ministry besides MECL and Amrit Cement others who have environment offenders are- Lafarge Umiam Pvt Ltd (for opencast lime stone mining at Phalngkaruh, Nongtrai), Hill Cement Company Ltd (Integrated cement plant and coal based captive thermal plant at Mynkre village in Jaintia hills), JUD Cement Pvt Ltd (Integrated cement plant and captive power plant at Wahiajer in Jaintia Hills) and Meghalaya Cements Ltd ( Expansion plant and captive power plant at Thanskhai in Jaintia Hills), National Highways Authortiy of India (Jorabad-Shillong section).

 

spot_img

Related articles

Polluted Lumshnong on verge of turning into Byrnihat: VPP

SHILLONG, March 14: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) has highlighted the alarming levels of pollution in...

CAG detects deficiencies in Teer Regulation Act

SHILLONG, March 14: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has detected several deficiencies in the implementation of...

Ex-DoNER minister lauds move to expand Shillong Airport

SHILLONG, March 14: Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh has expressed his happiness that the issues delaying the...

KHADC EC to present vote on account in coming session

SHILLONG, March 14: The Voice of the People Party (VPP) led Executive Committee in the KHADC is likely...