Tura, June 16: The Sepoy Colony Development Committee at Akonggre in Tura has sought the closing down of an illegal biscuit factory being run in the locality and on Thursday submitted a complaint to the West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner, copies of which were also forwarded to the Tura Municipal Board (TMB) and the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB).
The alleged illegal factory is operating under the name- ‘Dolphin Biscuit Factory’ and residents claim that the smoke emanating from it is posing a health hazard to the people from the area.
“Not only is it detrimental to the people of the area but it is also a threat to the environment as it pollutes the air all around,” President of the Committee, Mitison D Sangma said.
According to Sangma, leaders of the development committee along with officials of the TMB recently conducted a joint inspection of the factory where it was found that it had been running illegally for many years without any valid papers or a licence.
Meanwhile, the residents have demanded from authorities that the illegal factory either be immediately closed down or that it is shifted to some other location far from the locality.