The East Jaiñtia Hills district administration has ordered closure of coke factories operating in the district without the consent to operate (CTO) under the Air & Water Act.
Deputy Commissioner, Ethelbert Kharmalki in an order passed yesterday said, those coke factories granted with the consent to establish (CTE) and without the CTO can only establish but cannot operate.
Moreover, coke factories that received single-window clearances are ordered for closure.
There have been widespread protests against the mushrooming coke factories and dissatisfaction with the government has been expressed from time to time by the NGOs, traditional institutions, politicians and common people alike.
Just recently senior partner in the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA), BJP minister AL Hek had written to Chief Minister, Conrad A Sangma to rein in the coke factory owners. This action by DC is seen as a direct result of these demands.
Meanwhile, the Environment Co-ordination committee (ECC) of Elaka Sutnga who met the Deputy Commissioner today, following the order informed the Highland Post that as per the RTI they obtained till March 17, 2021, there are 12 coke factories in the entire East Jaiñtia Hills and out of this only five were granted with the CTO and seven possesses the CTE.
Legal Adviser to the ECC, Reading War said that another 49 coke factories were given clearance to by the Single Window Agency headed by the Chief Minister.
The ECC believed that the five CTOs that have been issued to the coke plants are for the purpose of standalone coke plants are invalid as it is found that the operation of these coke plants is in nature of cluster, for which they need to obtain a different CTO.
Stating that although CTO and CTE have been issued to these coke plants, it is a prerequisite condition that running of these industries will further require document and clearance from statutory authority, the committee said. “Hence CTO from the State Pollution Board alone cannot be the sole document for commencement of coke oven plant,” they added.
Accusing the State Pollution Control Board of failure in exercising the powers and functions as a regulatory authority the ECC said there are as many as 12 numbers of CTE and CTO that have been issued to the coke plants prior to the publication of the guidelines for sitting of the coke oven plants in the state which looks like the state board is putting the cart before the horse.
Urging Forest and Environment Minister, James Sangma to look into the issues at the earliest, the committee said it will not hesitate to move the Human Rights Commission or file a PIL if the government does not close down the existing coke oven plant.
