Reopen Chadha mill:Cane growers

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, July 10

Sugarcane farmers on Tuesday came from Gurdaspur to meet Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) officials and demanded that the government must consider reopening of Chadha Sugar Mill at the earliest and allow the management to carry out necessary repairs. However, the PPCB claims that the mill management is yet to submit an application for the de-sealing of the mill and deposit the complete fine money.

Molasses spillage from the mill had killed thousands of aquatic species in the Beas river in May.

“I am yet to receive the payment for the sugarcane already supplied to them and have taken loans which need to be repaid,” said Manjeet Singh, a farmer from Kiri Afgana village, who was part of the delegation that met the PPCB officials.

“Our payments for this year have been delayed and the mill management has told us that they will not be able to buy our produce even in next season if the authorities do not allow them to complete necessary repairs,” says Mahinder Singh, another farmer.

“The incident was an accident and the mill has been fined for it. But if the mill is closed permanently, it will affect farmers,” he said.

PPCB Chairman Kahan Singh Pannu said, “We can do little as the mill management is yet to seek permission to reopen it,” adding that the management was yet to deposit the complete fine amount of Rs 5 crore. They had deposited only Rs 1 crore.

Diversionary tactics?

Sources say the farmers are being used to ensure that the mill is allowed to function without paying taxes as a strong lobby is working to ensure that the incident of spillage is forgotten and instead the plight of farmers takes the centre stage. “The loss caused to the river is enormous and will take years to sustain aquatic wildlife again,” they add.

MinisterSpeak

“To improve the aquatic life of the Beas, the PPCB has already released Rs 25 lakh to the Wildlife Department out of Rs 1 crore deposited by the mill. The Wildlife Department has submitted an action plan to the PPCB under which 3 lakh fishlings will be released in the river every month during the coming four months,” said Punjab Environment Minister OP Soni.