Himachal High Court issues notice to chief secretary over stone crusher installation

The High Court of Himachal Pradesh on Monday issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary(Forest), Member Secretary of H.P. State Pollution Control Board, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest(HOFF),  Deputy Commissioner of Kangra and  Sub Divisional Magistrate, Jawalamukhi,  in a matter related to the installation of stone crusher in Village Adhwani in violation of the norms prescribed by the Pollution Control Board.

Division Bench comprising the Acting Chief Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua passed these orders on a petition taken up suo moto by the Court as Public Interest Litigation on a letter addressed to the Chief Justice by the residents of Village Adhwani in District Kangra.  The petitioners have alleged that the firm owned by one Gian Chand is installing Stone Crusher in the village despite protest from the villagers and are installing it forcibly without following the norms of the Pollution Control Board, which will be injurious to the health and physical comfort of the community.  The people have their homes nearby and also have cultivation land and grazing lands for cattle.  Children and aged people also go to the fields to rear the cattle and cultivation and the dust and pollution will cause harm to everybody.  They have alleged that the trees in the land of the villagers in the adjoining lands, will be depleted and there shall be loss of trees and a green environment. Petitioners have alleged that the stone crusher is being installed in violation of the Rules and its distance is less than 1000 meters from Government Senior Secondary School and less than 100 meters from the water reservoir(Bawri) used by the villagers for fetching water. Moreover, the crusher is being installed within a distance of 500 meters from Abadi of the Village. They have prayed that the installation of the stone crusher be stopped immediately to protect the life and health of the villagers and also for safeguarding the future generations from the harmful effects of the environmental degradation, which shall be brought about by the stone crusher.

The Court also issued notice to the respondent Gian Chand, installing the Stone Crusher and posted the matter after two weeks.