Hundreds of residents of Talwandi Aklia and Karamgarh Autanwali in the district Mansa in Punjab, India, have voiced their opposition to the setting up of a cement plant during a public hearing by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB).
JSW Cement proposes to set up a 6Mta plant with two units of 3Mta each as well as a standalone grinding unit on 19.02ha of land at Karmgarh and Talwandi Aklia villages in Mansa. As per the Environment Impact Assessment Notification of 2006, the project proponent needs to obtain environmental clearance from India's Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Members of the pro-environment organisation Public Action Committee (PAC) mobilised people to participate in the public hearing and oppose the setting up of the plant, terming it a red category industry.The villagers raised objections and said if the industrial unit from the red category was allowed to be set up, they might have to face environmental hazards.
Representatives of the PPCB, Mansa district administration, and JSW Cement also participated in the public hearing and apprised villagers about the proposed plant.
