Hyderabad: On a day when chief minister A Revanth Reddy spoke for more than an hour about the need to protect the rivers and the environment from pollution, social activist and Congress leader Dr Lubna Sarwath was busy with what she does the best- protecting the environment.
On Thursday, she wrote a letter to Telangana forests and environment minister Konda Surekha, urging her to either dismiss the entire board of the Telangana Pollution Control Board (TGPCB), or shut down the ready-mix concrete (RMC) plant which the Phoenix Group operates near the Mamasani Kunta in Puppalguda village of Gandipet mandal in Rangareddy district.
While Lubna has already been a tussle with Phoenix Group since 2020, filing multiple cases on the company for allegedly encroaching Narsinghi Lake 2, Mekasani Kunta, Mamasani Kunta, and Bhulkapur Nala; the state government doesn’t seem to be in a mood to listen to her.
The chronology of events clearly explains how successive governments including the BRS and the present Congress government, have been conveniently ignoring the orders of the TGPCB, which has taken somersaults like the Hydra (the micro organism), while ordering the closure of the Phoenix RMC plant, and then revoking the same.
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“How is red category commercial industry allowed to function right opposite to a residency in spite of multiple complaints, as lives of residents is endangered by way of severe pollution,” she had questioned TGPCB in a letter on Wednesday.
Interestingly, the consent for establishment (CFE) for the RMC was given on September 30, 2021, but its closure orders by the TGPCB (then TSPCB) was given o September 19, 2022.
Despite the closure orders, temporary revocation of the closure orders were given by TGPCB again on June 8, 2023.
After the residents of Navnaami Residency located right opposite to the Phoenix RMC Plant, and Lubna had filed a complaint about the company’s violations in March/April 2024, a show-cause notice was issued on April 16, 2024 to Phoenix.
Then a task force meeting was held in TGPCB on June 9, 2024, where ironically revocation of the closure orders were once again reiterated by TGPCB.
Once again the complainants lodged fresh complaints on August 7 and 14 about the violations of Phoenix RMC, the business continued.
” The Committee reviewed the status of the industry and noted that the industry has complied with directions of the Board,” Lubna pointed-out.
“Yet, the closure order dated September 19, 2022, is revoked on June 26, 2024, in spite of the brazen irregularities all along from 2021 to 2024, thus endangering the lives of residents, young and old, continues day and night,” Lubna tells Siasat.com.
“You, the zonal office, TGPCB, have broken the rules of Air Act, Water Act, acted in bad faith out of fear or favour, with utmost dereliction of duty, and over-rid all principles of natural justice,” she implored the pollution control board.
Even during the Congress’ official programmes she is constantly been seen ignored, and looked at by Congress leaders including the ministers like she is some “gutter ka keeda,” whenever she tried to speak to the Congress ministers.
