Public hearing put off over faulty notices

Mahisagar: Gujarat Pollution Control Board cut a sorry figure as villagers of Mahisagar district were able to convince district collector K B Upadhyay that GPCB had failed to follow set procedure and gave notices for a public hearing — over the a landfill project that is to come up at the site — just one week ahead of the hearing.
The villagers alleged that the notices didn’t mention a date either.From Friday morning, people from nearby villages began streaming in to the Ranjitpura Kampa area of Kharod village in Mahisagar district.
A private company, Green Environment Services Co-operative Private Limited, intends to set up a landfill site for industrial hazardous waste on the 44 acres of acquired land at the village. Around 30% of the site is in Mahisagar district and 70% is in Aravalli district.
From Thursday night the village saw a heavy police presence. A riot control team was also present for the hearing.
The villagers, carrying their crops, marched to the venue of the hearing. Women were seen in large numbers. GPCB had organised the public hearing at Kharod village.
As the hearing began, the villagers refused to allow the presentation by Green Environment Services Co-operative Private Limited to be made and demanded that they be heard first.
The villagers alleged that the officials would give the presentation and leave, and tell them to raise their objections in writing.
As the hearing began, the villagers pressurized the administration to provide seating arrangements for all. Jitendrasinh Jhala of Jitpur raised an objection that the authorities had not given them timely notices. He said that the norms require that notices be given 30 days in advance to the hearing, but GPCB didn’t give them adequate time and these such notices were given just 15 days earlier.
Several sarapanches and villa ge office bearers openly said that they had not received the notice 30 days ahead as is required.
Nita Mahadev, secretary of Gujarat Lok Samiti said: “We got calls from villagers asking us to save their land hence rushed to the village and started spreading awareness about the procedure to be followed. It was this awareness that brought fruitful results.” As the collector called for the files, he noticed that the notices did indeed not have the date mentioned. Later, Rahul Ashok Patel, a resident of Ranjitpura said: “As per the norms, the notices and other papers were to be sent by the GPCB, but villagers have received registered post sent by the consultant. The villagers said that the consultant has no business sending such notice or legal papers.” GPCB was again on the back foot and collector Upadhyay had no option but to immediately call off the hearing.