Illegal units turn fields acidic in Mehsana

AHMEDABAD: Few months ago, fields of mustard in Nugar village of Mehsana district refreshed the memories of Raj (Shahrukh Khan) and Simran (Kajol) meeting in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. But barely had one started cooling his eyes with this countryside view and a strong stench of chemicals became a big put off.
Surprisingly, one could hardly spot the source of this reek, as hidden amidst these lush green fields was an unscrupulous unit manufacturing various chemicals.Away from eyes of any authorities, the toxic effluents released from the chemical processes was flowing away merrily in the fields.
And, this was just one unit. Acting on a tip-off from some villagers, Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) conducted a six-month long operation and discovered that there were nine such factories working day and night illegally, without any permission.
All the units were immediately issued a closure notice and the state pollution regulator says that they have nipped in the bud what could have destroyed acres and acres of agriculture land. Most of these units manufactured intermediaries and chemicals.
The modus operandi was simple. The manufacturers used to take the farm on lease from the land owner promising him a rent that was almost triple that of what he actually earned from agriculture.
"Such units did not require a huge investment. There were just 2-3 vessels and some machinery. After we raided, they all vanished. We unearthed his major scam just at the right time," said GPCB member-secretary Hardik Shah.
In March, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had castigated Gujarat government in its report that specially focused on pollution. The report pointed out how 32% of drinking water sources in the state were found contaminated in a pre-monsoon survey. The watchdog had also found holes in the pipelined water supply in rural areas and said that the affected villagers were not even alerted about this.