No pollution Survey conducted in Cement plant affected villages: CM

Shimla, Mar 8
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister JaiRam Thakur stated in the state assembly today that no pollution Survey was conducted in the villages around the Ambuja and Ultra Cement plants as the air pollution was measured under the State Pollution Control Board under a mechanism. Replying to a query raised by the Sanjay Awasti of Congress Chief Minister said that there exist no provisions to measure the monthly Air Quality index for the cement plants however daily and annual air quality index is being maintained in the plants.

He said that the air quality index is being maintained after eight hours daily. The Chief Minister said that equipment was set up to measure the pollution level around these villages. However, the CM maintained that a survey was done around these projects on the order of the National Green Tribunal but nothing alarming was established. The Chief Minister said that out of a total of 617 employees in Ambuja cement employed 507 are Himachali people and out of 1195 employees in UltraTech there are 674 state employees. He said that 110 and 521 non-state employees were hired by the respective plants. Thakur said that 236 and 35 people from Himachal were hired in management posts in both the projects respectively.
Earlier raising the query Awasthi said that for 30 yrs no survey was conducted in the affected villages near the two power plants.