Movement Continues Against Asbestos Factory in Mahua

Patna/Hazipur:

Hazardous asbestos factory is being built in the fertile agricultural field in the vicinity of densely populated residential area at Rampur Rajdhari Chaksultan (Panapur) under Goraul bloc in Vaishali district, Bihar. The Utkal Asbestos Ltd. Company has misled the villagers by telling them that a medicine factory will be set up. It also misled the Union Environment Ministry through its Environment Impact Assessment report saying that the land is “barren” and there are no residents near the proposed site of the hazardous factory. But the pictures say another story. The well ploughed and irrigated land along side the under constructed factory shows the utter falsehood of the company management.

Fertile agricultural land just along side the wall of the factory.

Leaders of left parties observing the factory site.

The villagers are fighting against setting up this hazardous factory for long. The Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) inspired the farmers and villagers to get organise and lunch a sustained powerful movement against this hazardous factory. They formed ‘Khet Bachao Jiwan Bachao Jan Sangharsha Committee’ as the instrument of their struggle. They organized different protest programmes like dharnas, mass meetings and group meetings. The factory management logged fabricated cases against the protesters. Not only this, the factory management is trying to intimidate the villagers by parading hired goons with firearms. But the farmers are very much confident about their movement and they are ready to face any consequence to achieve their demands i.e. to stop the construction of carcinogenic asbestos factory on their fertile agricultural lands.

Green vegetables on recently irrigated land along side the factory.

Meanwhile almost all left parties working in Bihar extended their support to the ongoing movement of the villages and farmers.  Recently a team of leaders of different left parties visited the factory site and talked with the villagers. The villagers decided to intensify their movement. In order to seek direct invention of Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar in this matter to save their land and livelihood. They have planned to demonstrate before CM on January 16, 2013.

Farmers are irrigating land to grow crops faster.

Are the farmers of the area against development? No, infect, they are not against the development. Rather they want real development, which lead the human race on the path of progress and so they are in favour of eco-friendly, job creating and non-hazardous industry.

Is it justified to set up a hazardous carcinogenic factory in densely populated area on fertile agricultural land? Is it permissible to set up such kind of factory? Is the movement of villagers and farmers of Panapur, Mahua against setting up the factory unjustified and anti development? No, their movement is for real development. So, support their movement.