High Court notice to CS, Kangra DC over stone crusher

Legal Correspondent

Shimla, September 20

The High Court of Himachal Pradesh today issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary (Forest), Member Secretary of the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB), Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Deputy Commissioner of Kangra and the Jawalamukhi SDM in a matter related to the installation of a stone crusher at Adhwani village in violation of the norms.

A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua passed the order on a petition taken up suo moto as a public interest litigation (PIL) on a letter written to the Chief Justice by the residents of Adhwani village in Kangra. While treating the letter as a PIL, the court sought replies from the state authorities within two weeks.

The petitioners have alleged that a firm owned by Gian Chand is installing a stone crusher at Adhwani village despite a protest by them. The stone crusher is being installed forcibly without following the norms of the State Pollution Control Board, which will be injurious to the health and physical comfort of the villagers. The people have their homes, agricultural land and grazing land for cattle nearby.

It is stated in the letter that children and aged people also go to the fields to rear cattle and for farming and dust and pollution will cause harm to everybody. The trees on the land of the villagers will wither, causing loss of green environment.

The petitioners have alleged that the stone crusher is being installed in violation of rules at a distance of less than one kilometre from Government Senior Secondary School and less than 100 metres from the water reservoir (bawri) used by the villagers. Moreover, the crusher is being installed within 500 metres of the houses in the village.

They urged the court to stop the installation of the stone crusher immediately to protect the life and health of the villagers.