Bathinda refinery fails to propel growth

Bathinda refinery fails to propel growth
Congress leaders and Akalis both have been claiming credit for bringing the project to region
Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service

An incomplete unit adjoining the refinery.
An incomplete unit adjoining the refinery. Tribune photos: Pawan Sharma

Bathinda, October 1
Even as the Congress and the Akalis are waging a credit war for having brought the Bathinda refinery to the region, the project has failed to accelerate growth in the area or generate jobs.

Guru Gobind Singh Refinery spread over 2,200 acres began operations in March 2012. Former Finance Minister Surinder Singla of the Congress claims that it was he who conceived the project in the 1990s. But the Akalis claim credit for pushing the project through.

Both claim that the refinery has triggered unprecedented development in the region. This is far from the truth. It will be quite some time before the refinery will aid growth in the area.

Ancilliary units missing

It was claimed that a number of ancillary units would come up after the refinery started functioning. Not a single unit has come up so far, 18 months after the refinery became operational.

The government has signed MoUs for setting up two firms for manufacturing plastic products. The refinery provides raw material like poly propylene which is used for making plastic furniture and car dashboards. The proposal to develop a "plastic park", where the two firms were to set up base, remains on paper.

The industrial growth centre appears an abandoned piece of land, with a broken boundary wall of a manufacturing unit and wild growth all around. A similar park near the Panipat refinery is growing fast. Raw material from the Bathinda refinery is transported to the manufacturing units there.

Transportation

It was claimed that the transportation of sulphur, petro chemicals and polypropylene would also result in jobs. An estimated 300 trucks ferry such material from the refinery. Deepinder Singh, president of the Bathinda Truck Union, says of these about 100 are owned by local truck operators and the rest by those outside the state.

Real estate

Other than boosting rental business, the refinery has not resulted in new colonies. The rental business is also on the decline with a residential complex of the refinery coming up nearby. Most employees reside in Bathinda and travel more than 40 km daily for work.

Hence, rental business in the city boomed initially. But with house owners adding more floors to put these on rent, this business too has seen a decline.

Pollution

Pollution caused by the refinery is a cause of concern. Already, residents of a Kanakwal village are being shifted to a safe location.

No jobs generated

It was promised that the refinery would boost the local economy, generating jobs for skilled and semi-skilled workers. However, most of the skilled workforce has been recruited from other states. Refinery officials claim that qualified staff is not available locally and that 50 students from polytechnics in Bathinda, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar have been recruited recently. But this number is too less.

The refinery has failed to jack up industrial growth in the region. No ancillairy units have come up. The state government is to blame for choking industrial growth with new taxes. The new industrial policy has been of no help
— Raman Watts, Bathinda Chamber of Commerce and Industry

The Bathinda airport has come up and new train services have been introduced because of the refinery officials. The project has brought work to contractors, transporters, auto-mechanics and electricians
— Spokesman, Industries Department

( Bathinda Refinery, Laxmi Mittal, HPCL, Sukhbir Badal, Harsimrat Badal, Surinder Singla, Pet coke, Petro chemical, Raman Watts, Bathinda Industry, Growth Centre)

a city with unsafe handpumps!!1

Bathinda MC declares handpump water unsafe
Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 27
Bathinda has become the first city in the state where water from its handpumps has been officially declared unfit for drinking. The Bathinda Municipal Corporation in the process of painting warning signs on all its 640 handpumps.

A government survey recently had revealed 1,546 people suffering from cancer-like symptoms in the city. Uranium traces have also been found in the Gurdaspur belt.

The city handpumps draw water from merely 40 to 50 feet while uranium traces in the region have been found at a depth of 500 feet. With poor quality of underground water cited as one of the reasons for the spread of cancer in the region, the local government has declared all handpumps unsafe for drinking purposes.

Mayor Baljit Singh Bir Behman said the warning signs had become necessary as water samples from all the pumps had failed. " We have already painted 200 handpumps with the warning sign," he said. He said there were reports that the water was contaminated with uranium and sulphur.

However, those who can't read are still using the handpumps. As of now, the MC does not have any plan to seal the pumps.
EOM

key words: Bathinda, Cancer, underground water, uranium, mayor,

Dear CM Punjab, you want Schools or distilleries? scholars or boozers?

Dear CM…you want school or distilleries? Scholars or boozers?

Jupinderjit Singh/TNS
Machhan (Bathinda) October 9

Dear Chief Minister, do you want schools in the state or distilleries?

This is a question posed by students of private school, who along with
several residents of six villages blocked Bathinda-Dabwali highway for
over four hours seeking immediate closure of the BCL distillery that
opened in this village about two months ago.

Residents alleged that they were forced to take the step along with
school children as no official of the District Administration or the
Pollution Control Board was listening to their grievances. Most
agitated were the students of the private school, which caters to 42
villages in the region and was situated close to the distillery.

Against the backdrop of the raging controversy of donation of rs one
crore to Sanawar School by Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, the students
carried placards questioning if the government wanted scholars or
boozers? They also invited the CM to visit the place and try standing
through the pungent smell.

Residents and school children sat at different places on the highways
in groups at little distance from each other from 8 am to beyond noon
when a Naib Tehsildar Hukam Chand Deepak from Bathinda assured them
“due action” would be taken. Deputy Commissioner K K Yadav said he has
asked the officials of the Punjab Pollution Control Board to inspect
the distillery and report the ground situation at the earliest.

Rajinder Mittal, the most influential businessman of the region, who
owns the distillery besides a Multiplex and Industries, claimed the
distillery was pollution free. He said he had tried to educate the
villagers yesterday in a meeting at a Gurudwara about the environment
saving steps taken up at the factory.

“Most of the residents barring few persons agreed with our efforts.
The distillery is not fully functional. It is at establishing stage.
We are using Bio methods to prevent pollution. It is a little lengthy
process. I ensure you that we are taking full measures and will
continue to do so,” he claimed adding he has spent rs 20 crore alone
on prevention of pollution in the rs 110 crore worth project.

He added that the distillery was not just for preparing liquor, “We
use the alcohol to preserve upto 35 per cent protein of the rice brain
instead of the present 16 per cent. I request everyone concerned to
please show patience till the stablisation process of the distillery.

He also denied waste water was being discharged into Lasara drain- the
Budda Nullah of this region. Gagandeep Singh, one of the protesting
youths of Machhana village said it was increasingly becoming difficult
for them to live in the village due to the pollution. ever since the
distillery started functioning, “ There was unbearable noise besides
the air and water pollution. Farmers whose field are near the
distillery cant venture there to harvest cotton crop.

Jaspreet Kaur, principal of the private school said the unbearable
smell from the distillery besides the noise pollution was making
students and teachers sick, “ Students are complaining of headaches
and nausea. Even I fell sick for few days. The noise and the smell
remained unbearable even if doors and windows are closed.”

EOM

if only trees could bleed...there would have been rivers of blood in place of highways

Zirakpur –Bathinda tree cover a death knell for 96 thousand trees
Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, August 14
http://epaper.tribuneindia.com/c/317852

If trees could bleed, a gushing river of blood would form soon in the place of Zirakpur-Bathinda highway. The rs 2500 cr four-laning project of this 200 km highway that aims at fast flow of traffic to Chandigarh and minimising road accidents would come up at the cost of nearly 96,000 trees.

These trees , including several mature and others just 10 -15 years old are all set to be sacrificed at the altar of development. But no one seems to be weeping. While immediate effect on the already depleting forest cover and the Environment in the state is anybody’s guess, the project also exposes the faulty planning of the government. Surprisingly, no champion of Environment has so far stood up to save the green cover.

Already over a lakh trees along the National Highway no 1 from Shambu to Jalandhar were removed making a severe dent on the Environment. No wonder, the state had a deficient rainfall, which depends on forest cover also.

Nearly half of the trees were planted a decade ago under the rs 450 crores Forestation project. The Indian Government took the money as loan from Japan with an aim and promise of improving the Environment. All that investment shall go down the drain.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had boasted a week ago about the massive project. He claimed the nearly four hours journey to Chandigarh would reduce to two-and-a-half hours when the four-laning would be completed.

The project is all set to begin soon with the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests giving a clearance to the Zirakpur- Patiala stretch. The approval for the remaining stretch from Patiala to Bathinda seems to be a mere formality.

“The state Forest Department has recommended approval of the remaining stretch also,” said H S Gujral, Principal Conservator of Forests. He said the state government is committed to provided double the land acquired as well as plant double number of trees.

“Nearly 1000 acres of Forest Land would be utilised in the expansion of the road,” he said adding that the planning of such schemes is done by the government and the Forest Department has given recommendation only when the state government provided alternate land and money for plantations.

Chief Conservator of Forests Kuldip Kumar said nearly 96,000 trees would be removed, “the trees include Sheesham, Neem, Arjuna, Brahma Drek, Melia, Keekar and Eucalyptus.”

What the PWD says?

Engineering-in-Chief , PWD, R P Singh, which made the project plan said it was impossible to expand the road without removing the trees, “development comes at a cost, mostly of the Environment. We are giving land in the Kandi area along the Shivalik hills for planting double number of trees that would be affected by this road project.”

On faulty planning as the four-laning hits the Japan Afforestation Porject, R P Singh said the road project was conceived two years ago only, “ We have tried to minimise the loss of trees. We are not removing the complete forest cover. We are expanding the road from one side only at several places. Still, the trees would be lost but then how can we develop roads and infrastructure and save human lives and time.”

He said there was no alternate to cutting down the trees, “The state government had to acquire land for carving out a new road for which massive investment of time and money was required.”

COST TO ENVIRONMENT

Dr Suman Maur, Assistant Professor, Environmental Studies claims that in one seasons, a single tree produces oxygen for year-round supply of oxygen to ten healthy persons.

“By that count, crores of persons would be affected in a way, “she said. Calling for better planning in future, she said the government should plan in advance the roads, or trains and then plant trees accordingly.

“Even now, if they are planning four-laning, they should earmark future expansion to six or eigt lane and plan vegetation accordingly.”

She said the cutting trees affects the environment in several ways. “ The trees are air purfiers. Some studies suggest they contain noise pollution also. They act as buffer zone for the environment. On road sides, they prevent polluting gases to affect the crops. Further, trees like Neem and Arjun have medicinal properties as well.”
EOM

CSE fellowship : foirest rights act

‘Only those who live off forests have rights on them’
Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 28
Bhushan Parimoo’s heart beats for forests. A diehard save-forest campaigner, he has single handedly fought for forest rights, protection of tress and prevention of loss to ecology. His petition of saving khair trees was taken up by the Supreme Court at the national level. He has also fought for preventing silt in dams.

An ardent traveller, Bhushan posts pictures of damage to forests and green cover regularly on Facebook and other websites. “I make a statement on the websites. It moves the government,” he told The Tribune.

Q: You had a several years of struggle to save forests. When did you start?

Bhushan Parimoo: It all began in late 1970s when I had just passed out from college. The Salal hydroelectric Project at Dhiyangarh over the Chenab in Salal village of Reasi district was being constructed. I took up the issue of making adequate provision of taking care of silt which river carries in its normal course. The construction company was allowing it to accumulate on the dam lake bed.

Over the years, it would get accumulated and will exert pressure on the dam structure itself thereby putting avoidable pressure on the dam. The authorities stressed that there was enough land to handle the pressure if water level arose.

I formed an organisation, Environment Awareness Forum, which is running till date. We took up the matter and it was eventually proved that our argument was right.

Q: The issues you took up went up to the Supreme Court. What and how did all that happen?

BP: After taking the dam silt issue. I was disturbed to know the fate of khair trees from which katha is extracted, which is used for manufacturing ayurvedic medicines and pan masala. The trees were being recklessly exploited in the state.

This tree comes under the Specified Tree Act, whose felling is strictly banned. Still the government had allowed a firm to vandalise a forest having such trees in abundance. We requested the Supreme Court to intervene. It is now a famous case known as civil writ petition No. 171/96 titled, Environment Awareness Forum v/s state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Court was so impressed with our petition that it asked us to submit an all-India petition for saving the khair tree.

Q. What is the status of forests in J&K now compared to several years ago? What would be your advice on expanding forest cover?

BP: It is on the decline rapidly. The forests are in a mess as warned in 1987 in a seminar by RK Mattoo, as then director, social forestry, that, “If earnest efforts are not taken to restore the existing forests and raise large-scale plantation, our state will turn into a muss bowl”. At present, we have about 15-18 lakh hectare of degraded forests of which just less than one per cent is treated annually leaving 99 per cent untreated. This cumulative degradation is mounting and soil erosion is on at very fast pace. All water bodies in the forest are under threat. Wildlife sanctuaries are in a similar state.

There is a nexus between politicians, Forest Department and timber smugglers. Instead of removing encroachers, the government covered it all up by legalising encroachment under the ROSHNI Act, whereby those in possession of state land got right over the land they occupied. Officially, forestland was kept out of it and no objection certificate was to be obtained from the Forest Department to ascertain its tittle, but no such procedure was followed and forestland was encroached, which also got legalised. The problem was that there was no demarcated forest in the state. There is still confusion over forestland and revenue land.

Q. Tell us something about your organisation? How do you manage to run it without donations?

Bhushan: I broached upon the issue of salal project with many like-minded people who agreed to my fears about loss to forestland. It soon took the shape of a forum and slowly but steadily it is moving in right direction with sincere intentions.

Q. What are your views on the controversy of tribal rights in the state?

BM: Forests belong to people more so who are in or near it and who are born and brought up there. They are children of nature and for the nature. It is those who know its importance to protect, preserve and expand because on its survival depends their survival. As such, their rights are first and foremost. They were there and are there and shall remain in and around the forests. They are the rightful claimants, not the Forest Department which came into existence a century ago while these people are there for centuries.

Q. What is your advice on expanding forest cover in the state?

BM: The state has no land to expand, but it can go for massive afforestation in areas under its control, but it lacks will for that.

Q. Do you agree with the government data over forest cover in the state?

BM: No, it doesn't know even which area belongs to it in actual terms. Its records are not tallying with revenue records. Not a single forest division as of today can claim its records vis a vis revenue land.
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