The Hyderabad Karnataka Environment Awareness and Protection Organisation has taken exception to the establishment of a 3.23 million tonne per annum (MTPA) cement plant at Kiranagi village on the outskirts of the city.
Raising objections to the environmental clearance proposal submitted by Gulbarga Cement Ltd. — which proposes to set up the mega cement plant — at the public hearing chaired by Deputy Commissioner Vishal R. here on Wednesday, president of the organisation Deepak C. Gala said the location of the site for the factory was “unscientific”.
‘Dangerous’
He said the company proposed to set up its plant in the vicinity of the Mega Thermal Power Plant designed to produce 1,320 MW by Power Company of Karnataka Ltd., and the blasting activity of the cement factory and the high tension wires running from the proposed thermal plant would make things dangerous.
“The site selection was not proper as per the guidelines laid down by the Ministry of Environment and Forests for the location of such industries side by side.”
Water requirements
Mr. Gala said the cement plant also proposed to draw 45 lakh litres of water from the Bhima to meet its water requirements.
However, the environmental assessment report did not mention the hydrodynamics of the transportation of such a large quantity of water, which was not available in the Bhima throughout the year. While the environment assessment report said the peak discharge in the river would be for 11 months, Mr. Gala said the ground reality was just the opposite.
No proper estimate
There was no assured peak discharge in the river for 11 months, and at present the river met the total requirement of Gulbarga and other cities, Jewargi town, and villages on its banks.
There was no proper estimate on the quantity of water available in the river.
