District Collector K.V. Ramana has issued orders directing Dalmia Cements Bharath Ltd. at Chinnakomerla in Mylavaram mandal, Kadapa district, to immediately stop heavy blasting operations and removal of a plant set up to produce carbon powder using damaged tyres and waste material, as an alternative to coal.
Mr. Ramana directed the Managing Director of Dalmia Cements to appear in the Collector’s court on January 5, 2015, to show-cause why the orders should not be reinforced. Mylavaram tahsildar K.V. Sainath Reddy told newsmen that he handed over the Collector’s orders to the cement factory officials and instructed them to stop the operations immediately.
Jammalamadugu RDO Vinayakam has inquired into nine charges levelled in a representation made in Prajavani, grievance redressal programme, by villagers of Nawabpet on September 15 and served a notice on Dalmia Cements management. On perusing the management’s explanation, the RDO reported to the Collector that the cement factory violated the conditions and recommended seizing of Dalmia Cements factory to ensure the safety of the people, the Collector said in his orders.
The RDO reported that carbon was being used instead of coal and resultant pollution caused damage to people and cotton crops raised by villagers in fields adjacent to the factory. High density blasting polluted drinking water and drying up of drinking water borewells and villagers were suffering for want of water, he said.
Mylavaram tahsildar had inspected the cement plant and Nawabpet village and stated that blasting operations were undertaken about one and half km. from Nawabpet. The villagers complained that boulders were falling in their fields during blasting operations causing injuries to persons engaged in agriculture work, besdes causing damage to their houses.
During the blasting operations, two houses belonging to Rodda Chinna Sanjeevarayudu and Rodda Anjaneyulu collapsed causing death of nine persons on June 3, 2014. The Mylavaram tahsildar also reported that 186 houses developed cracks due to the blasting operations of Dalmia Cements factory.
The villagers complained that a carbon black loading point was set up near Peddakomerla village in Mylavaram mandal and damaged tyres and waste material loaded into tankers for use instead of coal, led to black powder covering their crops and causing respiratory diseases to people of Peddakomerla and Anantharayunipeta villages in Mylavaram mandal. Assistant Geologist of the office of Deputy Director of Mines and Geology, Kadapa, submitted his report in November.
Following a complaint filed in the Collector’s Court, Thalamanchipatnam police had registered a case on the death of nine persons due to collapse of the roof of an RCC house in Nawabpet village in June this year.
The Collector said he issued injunction orders under Section 142 (1) read with Section 133 (1) of Cr.P.C. to prevent imminent danger or injury of serious nature to the people.