Nawanshahr, November 12, 2017: The residents of the town are sore over the pollution being caused by the ash emanating from the chimney of the Nawanshahr Power Private Limited set up here at Banga Road. The Power Generation Plant being set up by a private company is currently on trial run for the past few months. The huge amount of ash emanating from its chimney has been causing pollution as well as health and sanitation hazards. Keeping in view the seriousness of the issue, the representatives of different NGOs held a meeting here at Baradari Garden and constituted a three member committee to discuss the issue with the officials of the Company to solve the problem. The three member delegation comprising Ashwani Joshi, President, Go Green International, Jasbir Deep, District Secretary, Association for Democratic Rights, Prof. Iqbal Singh Cheema. President, Pragtishel Vichar Manch, today visited the Power Generation Plant . The delegation held a meeting with the officials of the Power Generation Plant including S. Bandyopadhyay, Chief operating Officer and Dharmvir Singh, Chief Engineer.
Divulging details, the Social and Environment Activist, Ashwani Joshi, who himself is an Engineer and Marine Expert, said that the Chief Operating Officer, S. Bandyopadhyay and Chief Engineer, Dharmvir during the meeting stated that the Power Generation Plant had currently on the trial run. The ESP had been installed to control the pollution by managing Carbon Content 100 mg per NMQ, but due to fault in the equipment, ash started emanating from the chimney. " The delegation visited the plant to take stock of the technical details as well as compliance of the norms set by the Pollution Control Board", further said Ashwani Joshi while accusing the Company of flouting the Pollution Control Board norms.
" When asked to show the permission by the Punjab Pollution Control Board, it came to surface that the Company has not got any permission to run the Power Generation Plant so far from the Punjab Pollution Control Board. The permission, which was given by the Punjab Pollution Control Board, to set up the Power Generation Plant, has too expired on November 2", further alleged Ashwani Joshi while adding that though the Chief Operating Officer had been claiming that the Company had applied for the renewal of the permission but it was still against the norms to put the Power Generation Plant on the trial run without appropriate permission. Moreover, the strong objection was raised to run the plant ehen there was a technical fault had occurred in ESP.
The Chief Operating Officer, S. Bandyopadhyay has assured that the Power Generation Plant will not be kept on trial run without requisite permission as well as making up for technical fault in ESP, said the members of the delegation adding that the issue would be brought into the notice of the district administration to take immediate steps to ameliorate the sufferings of the local residents.
"The NGOs and the local residents would not hesitate to launch a massive stir if the problem of emanating ash from the Power Generation Plant continue to play havoc with the health of the residents of Nawanshahr and villages adjoining the Plant", they further said.