Raipur factories get three months to control pollution
Monday, 27 December 2004, 20:30 IST   |    1 Comments
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RAIPUR: Polluting sponge iron factories outside Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur face a shutdown if they don't control emissions within three months. The Chhattisgarh government set the deadline for 34 industries in Siltara, 15 km from Raipur, after the city mayor and citizens' groups lodged a complaint with Chief Minister Raman Singh. They said poisonous smoke from the factories had enveloped Raipur and nearby villages. Last week hundreds of farmers from Chikhli, Sorara, Kumhari and Murethi villages had warned of protests if the government did not crack down on the polluting industries. They had reported skin diseases among children. Forest and Environment Minister Ganesh Ram Bhagat confirmed that the sponge iron factories were violating pollution norms. "I have reports that industrial pollution in Siltara has affected the health of residents in Raipur and the surrounding villages," he said.
Source: IANS
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