Bitumen Factory Fumes Chokes Udharbond Locals

Dark smoke, fumes and suffocating smell escaping from a bitumen factory in Udharbond’s Pangram area is choking the people towards a health hazard. The construction of the plant in a densely populated area by a road construction company has raised serious concerns about pollution and harming the health of the public, especially infants, pregnant women and elderly people.

In the Pangram Part III area of Udharbond, Cachar, a road construction company unexpectedly set up the bitumen plant and began production, leading to heavy black smoke and foul smell that plagues the area now. Locals are angered by the plant that took the public health for a toss.

Locals allege that the plant is causing severe pollution, leading to widespread health issues. Many villagers, including children and pregnant women, are reportedly facing significant discomfort due to the pollution. The residents have also raised questions about the approval process for setting up such a facility in a populated area. They are demanding the immediate shutdown of the bitumen plant.

As usual, with petitions and vocal complaints to the Udharbond MLA, Mihir Kanti Shome, has paid no cents to the locals’ problems. The District Administration Cachar is also playing deaf to their complaints, said a local.

Speaking to our correspondent a local said, “Since the last two years the plant has started building, before the construction when we the locals talked to the owner of this land, he said it was a bitumen plant. We urged the landowner not to open the plant near a densely populated area as it would cause problems for us. The owner paid no heed to our requests and opened the plant anyway. This operation started on November 15 and since then the fumes from this plant have been causing several problems. My home is just 20 metres away from this plant. Young and old alike are falling sick, owning to the pollutants”.

The locals have submitted a memorandum to the District Commissioner, local MLA, Pollution Control Board and the Circle Office. So far, they have not received any solution to this persistent problem.