Toxic waste dumped on gauchar land
Category : Waste Management |
Location : Gujarat | Posted on 2021-08-03 00:18:13
Ahmedabad: In Gujarat, several legal fights between industrial units and villages have been witnessed where “conservation of gauchar (pasture) land” was the core issue. In an Ahmedabad village, gauchar land was used to dispose of hazardous industrial waste.
Now, police have swung into action and four men have been booked for attempted culpable homicide, for the dumping of toxic industrial waste.
Officers of Ahmedabad rural police said Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) officials received an input that industrial waste was being dumped at Kuha village of Daskroi taluka.
On the basis of the input, Kanbha police seized two trucks, one from Gandhinagar and another from Anand, which had dumped the waste on a plot of gauchar land in Kuha village on Saturday night.
A GPCB team also rushed the village and collected samples of the industrial waste, which looked like soil, but had hazardous chemicals and a pH value of 8.
The truck drivers, Dinesh Baria and Bharat Baria, told investigators that they had been instructed to unload the industrial waste at Kuha village.
Two other accused, including Gopal Bharwad, the owner of the trucks, told the two to unload the trucks on the gauchar plot. Another accused, Lala Bharwad, who has influence in the Kuha village panchayat, identified the plot on which to dump the waste.
Police sources said Lala and Gopal were paid by certain industrialists of Odhav and Kathwada GIDCs, to dispose of the industrial waste which was potentially lethal.
“Police have been investigating to know where the waste was brought from and who are involved in the case. The cops have also been probing as to whether they had disposed of waste in this manner,” said an officer.
The officer said the accused persons disposed of the waste without following environment protection rules to avoid paying money and endangered the lives of others.
Kanbha police charged the four persons under IPC Sections 278 (making atmosphere noxious to health), 284 (negligent act with regard to poisonous substance to endanger human life), 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 336 (rash or negligent act to endanger human life or the personal safety of others), 308 (intentional attempt of culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 120B (criminal conspiracy) along with charges under the Environment Protection Act.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/toxic-waste-dumped-on-gauchar-land/articleshowprint/84986990.cms
