By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Deputy Chief Minister and in charge Mining and Geology, Bindo M Lanong, might have come out in support of 4-5 cement companies operating in Jaintia Hills, claiming that these companies were not polluting rivers and their operations were confined to non-agricultural bushy areas, but documents obtained under the RTI Act by the Mait Shaphrang Movement (MSM) negate such claims by Lanong.
MSM convener Michael Syiem on Thursday, while differing with the assertions of Lanong, stated that all cement companies in Jaintia Hills are located in ‘forest areas’ as suggested by satellite coordinated images. Besides, all the cement companies are also found violating the Forest Conservation Act.
Syiem also showed prints of the satellite images from Jaintia Hills district to news persons gathered for the event.
According to Syiem, the characteristics of defining forest lies within the category of open forest, scrub, non-forest and dense forest.
“The density of open forest lies in the range of 40 per cent coverage of the area and that of the dense within 70 per cent coverage of the area. Most of the location of the cement plants is within 2 to 5 kms of the forest areas so how could these be non-forest areas?” he questioned.
Pointing out the remedial measures suggested earlier by the Supreme Court, Syiem said, “If these cement plants have bought 10 hectares they will have to compensate with double the area in terms of aforestation, besides paying penalties to the State Government.”
“All together it would accrue to thousands of crores and I do not understand why the State Government does not want that revenue to come to the State coffer,” he wondered.