Shillong, Aug 25: The Environment Coordination Committee (ECC) of Elaka Sutnga on Wednesday has decided to organise another public rally to strongly oppose the failure of the government to protect the people from the harmful pollution emitted by the coke factories established and operating in close proximity with human habitations.
Even though the date of the rally is yet to be decided, thousands of the affected residents within the Elaka as well as the adjacent villages and Elaka are ready to come out to the streets once again. The publicity secretary, ECC of Elaka Sutnga, Mehiwot Shadap said that it will be a historic rally since the people are tired of the false promises of the government to take legal action against the coke plants.
“This time it will be a different movement, because the government has failed to hear the voices of the people of the Elaka,” he said.
According to him, till date nothing has happened on the ground and instead the government continues to encourage illegalities in the Elaka and the District as a whole.
“It is really unfortunate that the representatives of the government as we have witnessed on social media platforms are fighting for legalization of such high risk factories,” Shadap said.
Referring to the statement of Forest Minister, James PK Sangma that all CTE and CTO are issued through proper channels and according to the book, he said that they would like to know, what is the ‘book’ that is available with the government for granting permission for the high risk and hazardous factories to be established and operate within the human habitation area?
“We demand that the Environment Minister make public the ‘book’ which could even supersede the judgment of the Supreme Court. And coke oven factories are clearly mentioned in the First Schedule of the Factories Act item no 4 as hazardous processes,” he said.
Reacting to Chief Minister, Conrad K. Sangma’s statement that action will be against illegal coke factories if there is a proof, Shadap said that the ECC is not surprised by the statement of the Chief Minister asking for proof from the citizens every time which is the only defence mechanism used by the government or the CM each time any problem of illegality arises in the state.
“Now the government is behaving like a court of law where the weak, the voiceless and the ordinary citizen have to provide evidence for their complaints. We have tried to get an appointment with the CM from time to time but it is all in vain,” he said.
Shadap further warned all the local benami owners of coke factories to stop threatening the ECC members and their supporters, and to stop protecting the outsiders from Assam, Haryana, and Rajasthan on their illegal businesses in the Elaka.
