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MeECL, Amrit Cement flouted environmental norms, RS told

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From Our Special Correspondent

 NEW DELHI: Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) and Amrit Cement of Meghalaya are among the 34 companies that have flouted environmental norms during last three years in the Northeastern region, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

Informing this during Question Hour, Environment Minister Ms Jayanthi Natarajan said most of the offences were committed in Assam, but the number of such offences has come down recently.

She said the number of offences in 2011 was 10. It was higher at 11 in 2010 and 13 in 2009.

Apart from the MeECL, Amrit Cement, oil PSUs ONGC, Oil India, companies such as Assam Roofing and North Eastern Electric Power Corporation among others flouted the norms, the minister said.

Shillong-based Amrit Cement Industries Limited, incorporated in 2008, has proposed to set up an Integrated Greenfield Cement Project at Jaintia Hills with an installed capacity of one million tons during its 1st phase of operations. The company is gearing up to achieve a production of 5 Million Tons by 2015-16 through capacity addition in the North East, Nepal and Bihar.

The Minister was replying to a question of Kumar Deepak Das of AGP. Natarajan said that as per the reports of regional office of the Ministry besides MeECL and Amrit Cement others who have flouted environmental norms are- Lafrage 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, Natioanl Highways Authortiy of India (Jorabad-Shillong section) .MECL is accused of violating environmental norms for its Myntdu-Leskha project. Amrit cement has been violating environmental rules for one of its cement plant and captive power plant in Umlaper village in Jaintia Hills.But as per state Pollution Control Board the Virgo Cement Ltd has violated environmental rules in Damas area of the state.

To a separate question, Natarajan said the proposal to establish a National Environment Assessment and Monitoring Authority (NEAMA) in north-east has not yet been finalised.

 

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