Olpad villagers to sit on dharna for closure of cyanide unit

Surat: Hundreds of people, including farmers, from more than 50 villages in Olpad taluka of Surat will sit on a dharna being organized by Gujarat Khedut Samaj (GKS) to demand closure of Hindustan Chemicals Company Limited for reportedly dumping hazardous chemical in a village near Bharuch.
The dharna will be organized outside the gate of the company in Olpad on March 25 to also demand action against the management for illegally dumping hazardous chemical waste in a farmland in Bharuch.

GKS president Jayesh Patel said, “Hindustan Chemicals Company manufactures cyanide at its Olpad plant. Many villages in Olpad taluka have been affected due to water pollution caused by the unit. A huge swathe of agriculture land has been destroyed by its hazardous chemical. Recently, three tankers laden with hazardous chemical waste from the company was caught dumping the material at Ummala village in Bharuch. A case has been registered against the company promoters and owners by the police. Production of cyanide in the factory is still going on. However, Gujarat Pollution Control Board is not taking action against the company.”

Darshan Naik, leader of GKS, said, “At the dharna programme, we would demand permanent closure of the cyanide manufacturing company in Olpad. Tens of hundreds of people living in nearby villages in Olpad have been affected due to water pollution. Agriculture in hundreds of hectares of land has been destroyed. GPCB must take action against the company owners.”