Bagdol locals up the ante against asphalt plant

Published On: September 19, 2016 02:56 PM NPT By: KULCHAND PHOMBO  | @@kulchandphombo


KATHMANDU, Sept 19: Bagdol locals protested against Nepal Adarsha Construction Company P. Ltd., an asphalt plant, located at Malpokhari in Lalitpur Municipality-4, saying that the industry was established against the law.

Hundreds of Bagdole locals recently gathered at Malpokhari near the Bagmati River with placards sloganeering against the establishment of asphalt plant and demanded that the plant be relocated right away.

 Talking to Republica Onlie, Prem Bahadur Chhantyal, coordinator of Bagdole Victims’ Struggle Committee, said, “Hari Prasad Pandey, the owner of the asphalt plant, is still trying to look for loopholes in the law with an intention to resume the plant even though the regulatory bodies closed down the company a year ago.”

Chhantyal further said, the plant, when operated, emits harmful gases including carbon monoxide, sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide, posing risk especially to those suffering from asthma. “We continue with our protest until the plant is relocated as it is established against the law,” Chhantyal added.

Prem Bahadur Chhantyal, coordinator of Bagdol Victims' Struggle Committee, addressing a gathering during the protest program organized against the asphalt plant at Malpokhari in Lalitpur on September 11. 

Hari Prasad Pandey had established the blacktop plant some four years ago after purchasing some land in the area.

In 2015, the Cabinet had penalized the company with a fine of Rs 500,000 for running the company in the site other than the one stated in the Industry registration certificate. According to the industry registration certificate, the company should have been put up somewhere in Kirtipur.

Similarly, on May 28, 2014, Lalitpur Sub Metropolitan City had scrapped the company’s registration number 686/4, barring it from running the asphalt plant.

The Department of Environment also penalized the company with a fine of Rs 50,000 on the charge of polluting the environment.

Pandey had filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court, with regulatory bodies including Lalitpur Sub Metropolitan City, Department of Environment as defendants, seeking an interim stay order, which is sub judice in the court now.

Seeking help in his favor, Pandey had also submitted an appeal to Subas Nembang when he was the chairman of the then Constituent Assembly.  

In response to Pandey’s appeal in the Parliament, the Parliament’s Environment Committee led by lawmaker Janak Chaudhary had formed a Dispute Resolution Sub Committee.

The committee prepared a report on the asphalt plant following a field visit.

Sharing the woes caused by the plant Tulasha Thegim, a local, said, “The asphalt plant has victimized the entire Bagdol locals with emission of its harmful gases including carbon monoxide, posing risk to especially those suffering from asthma. When the plant is on, it emits plumes of harmful gases above the Bagdol settlement, which eventually falls on the roofs of the houses in the form of tiny black dust particles as well as on the clothes hung in the sun to dry.”

When the Dispute Resolution Sub Committee formed under the coordination of lawmaker Raja Ram Syangtan was presenting its report on the asphalt plant in the Parliament few months ago, Bagdol locals had intervened in the process, claiming that it was prepared without consulting the Bagdol locals.

On September 11, a monitoring team led by Janak Chaudhary, coordinator of Parliament’s environment committee, inspected the asphalt plant before holding an interaction at Local Development Academy, Jawalakhel the following day.

“With the asphalt plant already penalized on the charge of running illegally, the decision will be made in favor of Bagdole people,” Chhantyal quoted Chaudhary as saying at the interaction held on September 12. However, Chaudhary did not say as to when the decision would be made, according to Chhantyal. 














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