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Pratibha Chauhan
It can clearly be termed as a choice between the devil and the deep sea. On the one hand, rising unemployment makes job creation the number one priority of any government and on the other, there is rising public outrage against the coming up of big projects, including cement plants.
Interestingly, successive governments, be it Congress or BJP, have always advocated big investment in sectors including power, cement plants and tourism ventures in a hilly state such as Himachal to generate employment avenues.
With very little industry and that too confined to fringes, unemployment is a genuine cause of worry for any regime.
However, the sudden stand adopted by the Congress in opposing any new cement plant has left many surprised. State Congress president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has made it amply clear that his party will support people’s sentiments on the issue. “There is no question of the Congress being opposed to the popular sentiment of the locals. Since it is their life, which is going to be most affected by the project, they certainly must have the right to choose,” said Sukhu.
Incidentally, BJP leaders, including Kangra Lok Sabha MP Shanta Kumar, promised that a cement plant would be set up at Sikridhar in Chamba and a white cement plant in Nauradhar area of Sirmaur. In fact, the setting up of the cement plant in Chamba has been one of the poll promises of the BJP in the last two Lok Sabha elections and the issue is once again in focus with parliamentary poll due next year. Now, with two political players adopting divergent views on the issue of setting up of cement plants, it will be interesting to see how the issue plays out.
Even as the focus has shifted towards sustainable development, there is a churning in the hills, as locals are echoing resentment against the acquisition of their prime agricultural land and depriving them of their traditional rights. People cite the example of Bhakra Dam oustees, who even after more than 50 years are still demanding their due in various courts of law.
Existing cement plants
The four main cement plants in the state are — ACC plant at Barmana, Bilaspur; Ultratech plant at Baga, Solan; Ambuja plant at Darlaghat, Solan and Cement Corporation of India (CCI) plant at Rajban, Paonta Sahib. Some of these companies have more than one unit, where the production of cement is being undertaken.
The coming up of any other cement plant has been delayed for one reason or the other for more than a decade. This includes plants to be set up by Lafarge at Alsindi in Karsog, Harish Cement Plant at Sundernagar and a unit to be set up by India Cement Plant at Gumma in Shimla. Notices have been issued by the previous Congress regime in May 2015 to all these four companies for delaying the setting up of the cement plants allotted to them.
Some of these companies have already invested a lot of money, but could not start the operation due to various factors, including delayed clearances from different agencies such as the Ministry of Forest and Environment. In some cases, locals have moved court against the projects, citing loss of their agricultural land and adverse impact on the health of people, which has landed these projects in legal wrangles. The total annual production from these plants is about 18 million tonnes.
Chamba’s jinxed plant
The project, earlier allotted to the Jaiprakash Associates Ltd in 2007, was cancelled by the previous Congress regime as the company failed to start work even after the expiry of the extended deadline. The project with a capacity of 2 million tonnes per annum would have become operational much earlier had the Jaiprakash Associates Ltd not delayed its setting up. It was on February 19, 2014, that the Virbhadra Cabinet cancelled the allotment made to the Jaypee group.
The cost of the plant has escalated from Rs 800 crore to almost Rs 1,000 crore, but it is expected to provide employment to 1,000 people in the remote areas of Chamba, where employment avenues are very limited. It will be a plant with a capacity of 2 million tonnes per annum.
It is as per the new guidelines by the Centre on the issue of allotment of cement plants, that now, global bids are being invited for allotting cement plants. However, the Himachal Government has now been compelled to relax some of the conditions for setting up white cement plant at Sikridhar, as not even a single bid was received when global tenders were floated in August 2018. Now, fresh bids have been floated with certain concessions. The government will now provide the road infrastructure that would be required for setting up the project, rather than the investor undertaking the task, which probably appeared to be a major inhibiting factor for investors.
The other relaxation given to rope in investors is the removal of the condition that a minimum of 26 per cent of the cement produced will have to be sold within Himachal.
Proposed white cement plant at Nauradhar
Local residents living in villages to be affected by the coming up of the white cement plant at Nauradhar in Rajgarh area of Sirmaur have already made up their mind to oppose the project. They have moved a writ petition to stop the government from going ahead with the project. They do not want the natural beauty of the area to be spoilt and vehicular emission from truckloads of cement to cause pollution and choke narrow roads.
The area is a traveller’s delight and is pristine for its unspoilt forests and tiny hamlets dotting the hill along the Giri river. The state government has plans to promote major eco and adventure tourism in Giri, Rajgarh, Habban and Nauradhar area.
“There is not an iota of doubt that if the cement plant comes up, immense tourism potential will be ruined. Locals will not get jobs despite the fact that they are the ones who will bear the brunt of the environmental degradation,” says Vikram Thakur, a local resident.
Locals will bear the brunt
"There is not an iota of doubt that if the white cement plant comes up at Nauradhar, immense tourism potential will be ruined. Locals will not get jobs despite the fact that they are the ones who will bear the brunt of the environmental degradation." — Vikram Thakur, A resident of Nauradhar
Issues concerning cement industry
1 Environmental pollution
There is no denying the fact that even those who advocate the setting up of cement plants, can’t help but admit to this menace of high level of air pollution. Several studies by voluntary health associations have validated the fact. People residing in villages in the close vicinity of cement plants have come out on roads, citing high pollution levels as alarming and detrimental for their health. There was a major uproar by villagers residing in the vicinity of Barmana cement plant in Bilaspur over the exceptionally high air pollution level. The villagers led by the Sangharsh Samiti Chairman, Barmana, where the plant run by ACC is located, had threatened to knock the doors of the court, if the HP State Pollution Control Board failed to take tough action for causing high air pollution. Following public outrage, the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board issued a notice to the ACC, as to why their production should not be stopped for violating pollution norms.
2 Damage to ecology
The grant of mining lease to the company executing cement plants causes damage to the ecology. This includes damage to prime agricultural land and the extraction of marble and dolomite causing harm to traditional water sources. What the locals rue the most is the fact that they are hardly given preference in jobs in the plant and all that comes their way are jobs of drivers and indirect benefits such as dhabas, hotels and other petty shops only.
3 Traffic congestion
The road journey in areas where cement plants are located are a nightmare, be it for locals or tourists. The convoy of hundreds of cement-laden trucks on narrow winding roads, be it near Darlaghat in Solan, where Ambujas have their plant, or near Sundernagar, where the ACC has its plant, is a major cause for traffic snarls. The traffic congestion is viewed as a major deterrence to tourism promotion, more so in a state like Himachal, where there is very little rail and air connectivity. Travelling on the 42-km stretch of the NH-21 from Swarghat to Bilaspur is nothing less than a nightmare. The volume of traffic is huge with trucks from three cement plants of the ACC at Barmana, Ambuja Cement at Darlaghat and Ultratech plant at Baga plying round the clock, carrying cement and clinker. Surveys by the Department of Environment, too, have indicated that the emission from trucks and other vehicles is among the biggest cause of pollution in the state and could also be a deterrent to tourism promotion if steps are not taken to regulate it.
4 Damage to road infrastructure
Himachal Government at one point of time had even mulled the idea of imposing road maintenance charges on all cement companies operating in the state, as thousands of trucks ferrying cement bags and clinker was causing severe damage to roads. Mukesh Agnihotri, the then Industries Minister, had said that the government would be very stringent in dealing with the violations by the cement companies, whether these pertain to pollution, excise, mining or other issues. He said the cement companies would be made to pay certain amount towards the maintenance of roads used by them. It was felt that that the companies should be made to pay for the maintenance of roads used by them. The issue of making it mandatory for the cement companies to share road maintenance expenditure has also been raised in the state Assembly with many legislators seeking government attention over the issue.
5 Highest price in HP
What irks people of the state the most is the fact that the cost of cement produced in Himachal is the highest for people of the state. The same cement produced in HP is sold at almost Rs 100 less per bag in other states including Delhi, Punjab and Haryana. This issue has remained a major irritant for the successive governments, headed both by Virbhadra Singh and PK Dhumal. Despite best efforts of both the regimes to try and get the cement companies to reduce the prices of cement per bag by Rs 25 to Rs 35 per bag, there has been little success. Even if the companies accede to the request, the effect is temporary and within no time, the rates are hiked.
Crucial for country’s infrastructural development
Cement industry plays a crucial role in the infrastructural development of the country. The provision for housing is the first and foremost requirement of every household and, therefore, the demand for cement is constantly on the rise. In Himachal, this resource can transform the economy in a sustainable manner. During my tenure as the CM, I have worked on these lines, as the two plants in Darlaghat and Barmana were set up. People have reaped economic dividends at both places. — Shanta Kumar, Former CM and Kangra Lok Sabha MP
Congress will oppose any cement project
The Congress will oppose any cement project including the proposed one at Sikridhar in Chamba. The past experience has proved beyond doubt that the state and its people have not gained anything due to the setting up of cement plants. On the contrary, they are the sufferers — whether it concerns pollution and the resultant ailments, traffic congestion and degradation of roads, vehicular emissions adding to air pollution. What hurts most is the fact that cement produced here is sold at far lesser prices in other states, while Himachalis have to pay much more. — Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, State Congress president
Cement plants need to be set up to create jobs
I am of the opinion that cement plants need to be set up, especially to create employment avenues for the youth. In Himachal, as it is there are very limited job avenues, so we have to create jobs. However, the government must ensure that these are set up with the latest technology, so that there is minimum possible environmental pollution. Besides, plants must be avoided in areas, where there are orchards or fertile land for agriculture.— Satpal Singh Satti, State BJP president
No need to dole out too many concessions
I am vehemently opposed to the concessions rolled out by the state government to woo investors for the setting up of cement plants. With the financial health of the state not being too good, the government must ensure that it gets good amount of revenue, as the state's resources will be exploited. Cement plants have been set up even in the past with all conditions, so why the need to dole out so many concessions? — Mukesh Agnihotri, Former Industries Minister
Cement production extremely polluting process
Cement production is an extremely polluting process, as there are high carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions. Currently, the cement industry does not have the technology to deal with these harmful emissions. As such, in fragile and forested areas, having these would cause severe loss to the biodiversity and vegetation. This in turn would impact the health of the ecology, forests and ultimately people. — Manshi Asher, Him Dhara, Environmentalists’ group
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