Una villagers protest setting up of brewery

Rajiv Mahajan

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Nurpur, August 13

Residents of several villages of Una districts today protested against the setting up of a brewery at Samlana in Jawali subdivision.

They said over 10,000 persons resided in the area where the brewery was being constructed. Fearing adverse impact on their health on account of environmental pollution it may cause, protesters, who belonged to Samlana, Maira, Nargala, Bhanai, Kutt, Palohra and Patta villages, said they would not allow the unit to come up at the site.

Health risks

• Eight brick-kilns and a hot-mix plant already exist in Jawali subdivision of Kangra district
• In 1998, Himachal Breweries had planned to set up a plant in the region, but the project was shelved, only to be resumed in 2002
• Protesting villagers say the effluents from the brewery will pose a risk to their health

Nisha Kumari, a resident of an affected village, said the state government had leased out government land for the setting up of a brewery amid public outcry.

“A private school and an Industrial Training Institute in the Samlana area are within 500 m and 300 m radius of the brewery. How can we let it happen? The effluents from the industry will pose a health risk,” said an old woman. A villager said groundwater resources in the area had already depleted. “Now, the brewery will affect it further,” he said.

The villagers told The Tribune that they would soon constitute an action committee to sensitise people to the repercussion of the project. The committee would also submit memorandums to the Chief Minister and Kangra DC to stop the construction work with immediate effect.