Villagers demand permanent closure of GEPIL

SURAT: Villagers of around 32 coastal villages surrounding the city took out a massive rally on Monday demanding permanent closure of Gujarat Enviro Protection and Infrastructure Private Ltd (GEPIL), which has been blamed for discharging highly toxic hazardous water in Unn Khadi.
Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) in December 2011 had found two illegal connections directly discharging this hazardous waste in Unn Khadi.
The rally, organised by the Parivartan Trust involving the leaders of the affected villages around Sachin, was spearheaded by BJP rebel Dr Kanubhai Kalsaria and former state finance minister Sanat Mehta.
Tens of hundreds of villagers participated in the rally, which started from Khajod village and culminated at the district collector's office at Bahumali building at Nanpura, where the leaders of the Parivartan Trust submitted a memorandum to the district administration demanding permanent closure of GEPIL within a month's time.
The villagers, carrying placard against GEPIL and its owner Girish Luthra, shouted slogans demanding immediate closure of the company responsible for threatening the ecology and atmosphere in the coastal villages.
In December-2011, the GPCB had exposed two illegal pipelines from an Integrated Common Hazardous Waste Management Facility (ICHWMF) operated by GEPIL to dump untreated industrial waste into Unn rivulet. Following the expose, the GPCB had issued an immediate closure notice to GEPIL.
"GEPIL's illegal activities have been exposed in the GPCB findings and now we won't allow this company to operate further. The company is threat to ecology and atmosphere in the surrounding villages and it will be our sole goal to see that the company is closed permanently," said Prakash Contractor, secretary, Parivartan Trust.
Contractor added, "Today's rally was a show of strength to the state government, GIDC and other concerned departments who are still not acting tough against GEPIL. We have given a month's ultimatimum to the district administration to permanent close down the company or else we will intensify the agitation"
Before the massive rally, Parivartan Trust organised a mammoth public meeting at Khajod village, which was addressed by Dr Kalsaria and Sanat Mehta.
Kalsaria said, "I have been told that the hazardous discharge of toxic waste material by GEPIL has led to the death of more than 200 buffaloes. It is obvious that many villagers and general people surrounding the villages may have consumed the milk of these buffaloes and thus they are also suffering from one or the other health-related problem."
Mehta said, "There are many such companies in Gujarat and across the country. Being an alert citizen, it is our responsibility to expose the corrupt officers in the government agencies who are helping such companies prosper."

By : Times of India