Pandoga indl area development devastates Shivalik Hills

Lalit Mohan

Advertisement

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, August 22

The Industries Department of the state is bringing a new industrial area in Pandoga area of Una district. The large-scale devastation of the fragile ecology of the Shivalik Hills being carried out in the process of development of the industrial area has appalled residents of Una.

Ravi Kapil, an environmentalist, said the way the hills were being leveled amounted to total devastation of the ecology of the area. The state government might have taken permission for diversion of forest land from the Union Ministry for Environment and Forests, where the industrial area was being developed bit the way hills were being leveled amounted to violation of the permission conditions.

The permission for diversion of forest land for other purpose is given on the condition that it should not adversely impact the adjoining areas. However, the way hills have been leveled it is sure to impact the surrounding areas, he said.

Seema Sharma, an advocate at the Una courts, said she was contemplating moving High Court or National Green Tribunal against the total devastation of the Shivalik Hills in Pandoga area. She said it was shocking that the government was doing such a thing.

The Pandoga area in which the new industrial area was being developed falls in Haroli, the Assembly constituency represented by Minister for Industries Mukesh Agnihotri. The area is located on the borders of Una district of Himachal and Hoshiarpur district of Punjab.

The Industry Department officials, while speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the permission from the Ministry of Environment and Forests had been taken for developing the industrial area on the forest land in Pondoga. They, however, declined the charges that the permission conditions were being violated.

However, a visit to the area reveals that large-scale leveling of Shivalik Hills has been carried out in Pandoga for the development of the new industrial area. The Shivalik Hills in which the industrial area was being brought are home to rare species of birds, animals and reptiles of lower Himalayan region.

The residents of the area are also questioning the logic of development of new industrial areas in the state when existing industrial areas have room for new industry. There is also a textile park in Una which is yet to be developed. A food park was proposed to be brought up in Tahliwal area but it has failed to attract investment. Many plots in these industrial areas are either lying vacant or are occupied by closed down units.

The government should try to revive the existing industrial areas in Una district rather developing new areas that are coming up at the cost of ecology, say the residents.