JOWAI: Opposing the proposed public hearing on limestone mining for Star Cement Limited, the Jaintia Youth Federation (JYF) has blamed that the proposed public hearing to be conducted by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) is nothing but just for namesake and formality.
In a release issued through its president, Poipynhun Majaw, the JYF informed that it will strongly oppose the proposed public hearing on the ground that limestone mining is one of the hazardous mining system in the district destroying all standing trees, removing the top soil and thereby affecting the environment in the area badly.
The JYF also expressed surprised over measures taken up by the state government against all those cement plant who set up their respective plant without proper clearing is due some vested interest politician within the government of Meghalaya.
“The government has shown that it has no sense of responsibility for the future generation by welcoming all cement plant which never got any clearance from the Minister of Forest and Environment, Government of India”, the JYF stated.
“We will be very happy if the National Green Tribunal bans all limestone mining in Jaintia Hills rather than restricting to coal mining”, the statement added.
According to the JYF, all cement manufacturing company who set up their plants in East Jaintia hills have violated all environment norms. They (Companies) set up their plant in forest areas, which is against the environment norms.
“We need to protect and conserve our forest and control pollution for our own survival”, the JYF president said.
They JYF further stated that these cements plants have violated the Environment Protection Act, 1986), the Forest conservation Act 1980, the United Khasi- Jaintia Hills Autonomous District (Management and Control of forests) Act, 1958, the Meghalaya Forest Regulation (Application and Amendment) Act of 1973; the Meghalaya Forest (Removal of Timber Regulation) Act of 198, the Meghalaya Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Rules, 1996 and the Meghalaya Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Rules, 1988). These companies have also violated the Meghalaya Transfer of Land (Regulation) Act, 1971 Sec.4 (1) (e) & 4 (1) (f), Meghalaya Forest Authority Act of 1991.
