bureau report

Obra/Sonbhadra-

The Cati Markundi area of ​​Sonbhadra, famous for mining, has once again become the center of administrative tussle. Instead of discussion, the public hearing held in the premises of Primary School, Kota Tola on Friday was marred by controversies. Local villagers have made serious allegations against the district administration and the Pollution Control Board of merely complicating the processes and promoting corruption.

The biggest attack of the protesters present in the public hearing was on the functioning of the Additional District Officer (ADM). The villagers directly allege that the hearing was organized only to complete the quorum on paper. Local resident Abhishek Agrahari claims that by ignoring the real affected villagers, only certain people were presented as a crowd by the administration, so that the proposals could get the green signal without any noise.

It is alleged that the officials hurriedly completed the proceedings by taking signatures of selected people on already prepared documents. According to the rules, the basic objective of the public hearing is to solve the problems of the public, but according to the villagers, there was no discussion on the following burning issues: Impact of dust and explosions from mining. Drastic decline in ground water level and non-availability of clean water.

Medical camps near mining areas and lack of basic treatment. When we were not given a chance to express our views and were ignored when we asked questions, then how can we call it a public hearing? This is directly playing with our health. In this hearing organized by the regional office of Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board, the environmental approval of the leases of four applicants was to be discussed.

Keshari Devi (wife Hariram Prasad) Manjeet Kumar (son Late Upendra Nath Singh) Chandra Shekhar (son Late Panchanan) Baby Gupta (wife Krishnanand Gupta) The villagers have now completely rejected the so-called consent taken for these four proposals and declared it illegal.

Under environmental rules, mining is permitted only if the applicant presents modern technology for dust and noise control, intensive tree plantation and a clear blueprint for local development. But in this hearing held in Kota Tola, the ground reality appeared to be far away from these government claims and rules.

The affected families of the area have raised the demand for a high-level inquiry into this entire process. The villagers have a clear message that unless a transparent and fair public hearing is held again, granting environmental clearance to these mining leases will be an illegal and anti-people step.