Gaur, Apr. 29: Public life here has been adversely affected by pollutants emanating from Sriram Sugar Mills Ltd at Garuda in Rautahat district. The whole village becomes covered by smoke which blackens everything in the neighbourhood. Small children have been suffering from lung complaints as they breathe the polluted air, says Raj Kishor Shaha of Gedahiguddhi VDC.
Local residents have demanded that the smoke and polluting liquid coming out from the sugar mill be properly managed.
They say that the smoke is caused by old equipment at the mill and call for its replacement, close down or translocation of the mill. According to Ramesh Jha of Mahammadpur, the VDC has requested the mills to make an environmental impact assessment.
The smoke has caused eye pain and coughs and laundry hung up to dry becomes blackened, according to Basant Shaha of the affected VDC.
He said they will launch a campaign to close down the mill unless new equipment is used.
The Jhanjh River in Rautahat has been badly affected by the pollutants emanating from the sugar mill and the air pollution is caused by the fuel used during the crushing of the sugarcane.
Under the new regulations, environmental impact assessments should be made for new factories. But the rules are not clear for the old ones which have already been set up. There is a provision for old industries to compensate people for impact on public health, but it has not been enforced, according to Dr. Biswonath Agrawal of Ronast. Agrawal says the policy is to take action or provide facilities to mills in accordance with their pollution levels after making the environmental impact assessment.