No pollution control in Yamunanagar crusher zone

The Tribune , Thursday, May 19, 2005
Correspondent : Yoginder Gupta
Chandigarh, May 18

Either the writ of the Haryana Pollution Control Board and the Labour Department stops where the boundary of the Yamunanagar Stone Crusher Zone starts or officials of the two government agencies, for reasons best known to them, do not want to crack the whip on defaulters.

A visit to the crusher zone, situated along the banks of the Yamuna, reveals that no anti-pollution measures are operative in the area spread over about 80 acres. Set up in 1992, the zone has about 100 crushers within the revenue limits of Ballewala and Doiwala villages. Labourers have to work in a highly polluted atmosphere. The stone dust is just killing. The problems has been compounded by the fact that the crusher zone and the stone quarries are adjacent. The quarries too have not adopted any anti-pollution measures.

Highly over-loaded trucks plying on kutcha roads within the zone only aggravates the air pollution. They not only raise dust, their exhaust is also highly toxic because of extreme burden on their engines and driving in low gear for a long distance. Usually a truck having an approved capacity of nine tonne, carries 20 tonnes, and a truck of 14 tonne capacity, takes over 40 tonnes of stones. No wonder roads in the area are badly damaged.

It is mandatory for stone crushers to have an enclosure around the crushing machines so that the dust can be contained. Similarly, it is also mandatory for them to install sprinklers, which would sprinkle water at regular intervals to settle the dust. However, in the Yamunanagar crusher zone either the sprinklers do not work or they are operated only when it is time to obtain no-objection certificates (known as “consent” in offices) from the Pollution Control Board every year.

Informed sources say the hopper (into which the stones are fed for crushing), conveyer belts, screens and the loader should all be covered along with the sprinkling of water, so that dust can be contained. However, no such arrangement exists at most of the crushers.

Why crusher owners do not take steps to contain dust? Of course, the obvious reason is to cut the cost. However, trade sources say stone dust, a byproduct of stone crushing, the primary object of which is to make grit, is a quality product. The stone dust is used where quality plaster work is required. It fetches about 50 per cent higher price in the market than the grit.

The sources say 15 to 25 per cent stone dust is produced during the crushing, depending upon the softness of stones. Most of the stone dust goes in the air when the grit is screened for different sizes. The crusher owners avoid sprinkling water at this crucial stage because it results in the loss of the stone dust, which sticks to the grit if water is poured on it.

No regard is paid to the safety and health of the labourers. According to Mr Ramesh Arya, Organising Secretary of the Bandhua Mukti Morcha, an organisation headed by Swami Agnivesh and active in several quarries of the state, says the Haryana State Industrial Safety and Health Rules are violated with impunity in the crusher zone. Labourers must wear masks, goggles and safety belts while working in the crushers.

Mr Arya says there should be a provision of clean drinking water and toilets. A dispensary should be there with ambulance facility so that in case of an accident, victims can be rushed to a referral hospital.

 
SOURCE : The Tribune, Thursday, May 19, 2005
 


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