Brief on Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh (BBN) Area- Himachal’s Toxic Zone
The Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh (BBN) area in Nalagarh Tehsil of Solan District- the industrial hub of the state of Himachal Pradesh witnessed rapid industrialisation since 2003. The granting of industrial subsidy package to the state by the BJP led Centre government back in 2003 ushered in a virtually unplanned, poorly regulated and environmentally unaccountable industrial development in the state, and in particular BBN, which is spread over 35 kms long. This entire stretch consists of 21 panchayats and 115 villages. (i) As per the State’s Economic Survey report for the year 2013-2014, “as on 31.12.2013, there are 39,819 industrial units registered with the Industries department of the state on permanent basis having a total investment of 17,339.89 crore”. (ii)
The BBN industrial cluster is governed by the Baadi Barotiwala Nalagarh Development Authority (BBNDA) formed under the Town and Country Planning Act 1977. The authority is responsible for planned and systematic development of the region, and developing master plans. Earmarking separate zones for industries and housing, developing commercial sites, apart from preparing layouts for major infrastructural facilities also fall within the ambit of BBNDA. However, over the the years, there’s been little planned implementation in the area. It is a common sight to see industries developed close to residential areas, thus violating crucial provisions of separate zones, miserable road conditions, abyssal sanitation facilities, illegal discharge of effluents issues are only a few issues plaguing the area which speaks volume about functionings of BBNDA. There is much to be desired in terms of role and accountability of BBNDA as far as effective and ethical governance of the area is concerned.
Owing to the subsidies, BBN in fact witnessed a mass migration of industries from badly polluted areas like Vapi in Gujrat and Pattancheru in Andhra Pradesh. The incentives offered by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in form of tax concessions did come in with certain terms and conditions. For the industries to be eligible for incentives, the industrial units were expected to be environment benign, but the much worsening air, water and noise pollution proves the contrary. (iii) As per the data provided by HP State Pollution Control Board, BBN today has a total of 2063 operational units of which 176 are red category, 779 are orange and 1108 fall under the green category respectively. (iv) The segregation of units into Red, Green and Orange is based on the pollution potential they carry. Some of the red category units include thermal plants, cement factories, textile units, stone crushers, aluminium smelters, lead acid battery manufacturers and boiler factories. While the orange category units defined as relatively less polluting include brick kilns, those excavating sand from river bed, infrastructure development projects, pharmaceuticals are too contributing significantly towards the environmental crisis brewing in the region.
Taking into account the haphazard growth of polluting units in BBN, in the year 2009, the area was identified for a Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index study along with other 88 industrial clusters throughout the country. With an index rating on 69.07%, BBN almost made it to the Central Pollution Control Board’s list of “critically polluted” areas, but despite that, the Ministry of Commerce with pressure from the state government has extended the subsidy package uptil 2017. If today, five years on from the previous environmental assessment, a fresh study is conducted, BBN in all likelihood would qualify as a “critically” polluted.
Depletion of ground water due to heavy extraction, increasing levels of river pollution, air pollution, fly ash, illegal dumping of hazardous waste and illegal river bed minning are some of the key problems identified in the area. Discharge of contaminated waste from industrial units into local water bodies has gravely polluted 6 to 7 small streams flowing into River Sirsa, a tributary of Satluj. It is an already well established fact that industrial development drastically impacts local environment, causes damage to agriculture, livestock, impacts health and sanitation among other issues. In context of BBN, a study published in 2011 by Punjab University (v) has indicated high concentration of heavy metals in groundwater due to excessive contamination by industrial units, so much so that it was rendered unsuitable ford drinking purposes.
Another IIT Kanpur study (vi) submitted to HP PCB in 2012 too revealed high levels of particulate matter, lead and arsenic in the ambient air and declared industries in clear violation of standards prescribed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). Volatile organic compounds have been detected beyond permissible limits in air samples based on a community monitoring done by Himparivesh, a local environment group (vii). Even, CPCB’s own findings in 2011 have confirmed the presence of VOC’s and cancer causing carcinogens in the air.(viii)
Such an appalling situation then raises questions about the role and effectiveness of state monitoring mechanism- a body like HP PCB, its role in monitoring environmental pollution and implementation of guidelines in BBN industrial cluster. Till date, no independent monitoring and documentation on industrial pollution has been carried out. Mitigation and regulatory measures are grossly inadequate. The data gathered through file inspections of HP PCB and under Right to Information Act reveals that out of the total of 2063 industrial units in BBN, for more than 50% licenses have not been renewed. Hardly are show cause notices issued to units, and if issued, there is virtually no follow up by the board. 60% of the units do not have Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) and groundwater is severely polluted.
Inviting more polluting units to invest in absence of an accountable monitoring mechanism to accelerate economic growth of the state at the cost of local population and environment is what begs the question now. Several agitations and local action the area has witnessed in the last decade or so cannot be overlooked. Some of the important cases raised by local people and Himparivesh includes the case of Jhiriwala beer factory, the leather tannery, problems of dust due to cement units and contimation of water by pharma to name a few-
Another project that met with stiff local opposition was Jaiprakash Associates’s Limited thermal power project at Bagheri in Nalagarh tehsil. The landmark judgement of Himachal High Court against Jaypee on May 4,2014, directed that Jaypee’s part constructed power plant be dismantled as it blatantly violated environmental laws and illegally sought clearances by misleading the state government and other regulatory authorities. A fine of Rs. 100 crore was levied separately on Jaypee’s Cement blending and grinding unit at Bagheri, and a Special Investigation team was set up to identify the government authorities and regulatory bodies involved in the matter. Today, those living in close vicinity of the cement plant suffer with respiratory problems, lung infection, cardiovascular disorders, with cancer and asthma having claimed lives of a few already. The villages in and around bagheri are plagued with the menace of dust and fly ash, and is only more than visible. The High Court had also stated clearly in its order that if JAL’s cement unit does not comply with conditions laid down by EAC or is guilty of causing pollution, it would meet the same fate as the thermal plant. But the cement unit clearly seems not guilty of causing all the pollution around bagheri with virtually no action on part of PCB. The experiences so far show that if at all grievances of the locals have to be heard, theose affected need to exercise pressure on PCB through organised public action.
Given this context of the lackadaisical attitude of authorities on one hand, need for the public to question, and urgency to devise a multi pronged approach for environment action, a people’s public hearing was conducted on April 5, 2014 at Baddi by Himdhara, Environment Research and Action Collective in collaboration with Himparivesh, the local environment group. The public hearing saw an overwhelming presence of close to 200 people from across the Baddi Barotiwala Nalagarh area who are forced to breathe the polluted air, and drink contaminated water. The hearing was presided over by an eminent independent panel which included Dr. Rajesh Kumar, Head of Public Health, PGI Chandigarh, Anil Gupta, Scientist from People’s Science Institute, Dehradun and Rakesh Lohumi, a senior journalist based in Shimla. Based on the written submissions received by the panel, and oral testimonies recorded, this report attempts at highlighting major industrial pollution related issues, nature of the issue, findings of the ambient air samples, the key violators, role of the State Pollution Control Board, the potential future strategies in monitoring of environmental pollution.
(i) http://dipp.nic.in/English/Schemes/Special Category/Himachal Uttaranchal/indpol uthp.htm
(ii) Economic Survey of Himachal Pradesh 2013-2014, page 71.
(iii) The Ministry of Commerce & Industry’s department letter dated January 7,2003 under its subject “New Industrial Policy and other concessions for the state of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh declares that for industries to be eligible for concessions, they have to environment friendly, create local employment and use local resources.
(iv) “Red” represents highly polluting industries. “Orange” represents moderately polluting industries, and “Green” represents marginally polluting units. To check the category list, see: For Red: http://hppcb.nic.in/Consent/Red.pdf, Orange: http://hppcb.nic.in/Consent/Orange.pdf, Green: http://hppcb.nic/Consent/green.pdf
(v) A study conducted in 2011 by the Department of Environment Science, Punjab University titled “Impact of Industrialisation on Groundwater Quality- A Case of Baddi- Barotiwala Nalagarh Industrial belt, District Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India” attributed the dense unplanned industrial development as the main cause of groundwater contamination. Groundwater samples from 44 different locations and sources were collected and subjected to standard analytical techniques for physio chemical analysis.
(vi) Study conducted by Dr. Mukesh Sharms and Dr. Onkar Dikshit, Environment Engineering and Management Program, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, November 2012.
To access the report on public hearing documented by members of Himdhara, click on the link below:
waterlandair 