A group by the name of ASMA has lodged a complaint with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change against Lafarge for misuse of high grade limestone from Nongtrai in Meghalaya for manufacturing of aggregates and selling it at very high prices in Bangladesh thus making huge profits in Bangladesh.
“They (Lafarge) have approved leases for mines only for manufacturing of cement in Bangladesh by exporting the limestone from Meghalaya but they are continuously exporting limestone almost double than the requirement (exporting 3.5 million tons for manufacturing only 1.3 million tons of clinker). They are converting the about 1.5 million tons of high grade limestone into aggregates that are selling in the market where it is being imported for manufacturing of cement clinker,” ASMA said in the complaint.
The complaint also urged the authorities to conduct proper investigations regarding continuous loss of revenue to the government of India, Meghalaya government as well as to local communities.
ASMA said that the measurements and export of limestone is being carried out by the belts circuit of about 18-19 km from crushing in Meghalaya to cement plant in Bangladesh.
It also alleged that there is no proper weighing system for the extracted and exported limestone as this is being measured continuously through a belt weigh feeder – a very crude/obsolete system of measurement. This system is being used only for indication flow for rough estimation of materials on the belts for the rough processes in manufacturing.
ASMA said that the system is being manipulated by Lafarge Umiam Mining Private Limited (LUMPL) for its own benefits to export excess limestone (more than measurements by the system).
“LUMPL is exporting more limestone than measurement with the advantage of this obsolete system of measurement thus depriving the government, communities of required payments of revenue. This can be cross checked very easily by the mass – balance of the material in the cement process i.e. limestone exported to Bangladesh/clinker produced in Bangladesh,” it added.
Further, ASMA said that Lafarge had started selling the crushed limestone directly in Bangladesh as aggregate with any proper approvals from IBM for use of limestone i.e cement.
“The limestone is being exported for export use but being crushed and sold as aggregates in the market. (The major mineral – a very high grade limestone is being wasted as aggregate for making huge profit by the company). The sale of limestone in the market is making the company very greedy so they are indulging in manipulation of measurements of incoming/exported/imported limestone since they have not provided any proper measurement system in the limestone receiving/crushing /sales of limestone just measuring by sales only,” it said.
Stating that Lafarge had started selling limestone in the market since 2020 and got hike in its profits and so was less interested in manufacturing clinker or cement, ASMA said that Lafarge got sanctioned extension of Nongtrai mines from 2 million tons per annum to 5 million tons per annum during 2015 “by giving false commitments”.
