Begin typing your search above and press return to search.

Illegal industries thriving in Dibrugarh

By Staff Correspondent

DIBRUGARH, June 19 � Illegal growth of industries within the municipality here has posed a serious threat to the life and property of the public. A lot of industries mushrooming in municipal areas have been creating fire hazard and public nuisance, blocking public roads, throwing industrial waste and contributing to pollution.

There are provisions under the Assam Municipal Acts 1956 and The Assam Town and Country Planning Act 1959 for proper setting up of industries in industrial areas only. Section 228 of the Municipal Act 1956 contains that factory cannot be established without permission of the municipal board in the municipal area. Prior permission in this regard is to be granted by the deputy commissioner. Further, the zoning regulations are prescribed under Master Plan for residential zone, commercial zone, and industrial zone. The municipal authority grants license basically for setting up industries in municipal area. But over the years it has been seen that the licensing inspectors of Dibrugarh municipality are either ignorant or are unwilling to enforce the provisions of zoning regulations.

To cite some examples, M/s Sharp Engineering Works at Sani Mandir Road here, which was dealing with welding works with domestic cylinder caught fire on March 23, 2008. It had posed threat to the neighbours. However, DMB renewed their trade license. This workshop was reportedly asked to stop denting, cutting and grinding activities by the regional executive engineer, Pollution Control Board, Dibrugarh. Further the case of M/s Viswakarma Steel, also at Sani Mandir Road was referred to member secretary, Pollution Control Board, by the regional executive engineer, Pollution Control Board, Dibrugarh for closure notice due to noise pollution near Marwari Hindi School.

Similarly illegal construction and functioning of wooden furniture manufacturing workshop in the residential premises of Sardar Resham Singh, at Shani Bari Road here has come to the knowledge of this newspaper. It is gathered that Singh obtained a trade license from Dibrugarh Municipal Board for a wooden furniture showroom only at Mancotta Road, Dibrugarh. But on the strength of the license, Singh very cleverly and secretly established full fledged electrically operated wooden furniture manufacturing workshop with 10 KW load in 2006 in his residential premises, just next to the bedroom of a neighbour and operates with electrical machines like bench saw, circular saw, wood planner, wood lathe etc. On receipt of complaints from neighbours, the Dibrugarh Municipal Board, Pollution Control Board and Dibrugarh Town Planning and Development Authorities reportedly issued notices and recorded their findings. The Pollution Board had also declared the unit as not suitable in residential complex. Dibrugarh Development Authority (DDA) had also show caused the unit regarding the building permission.

After reasonable warning notices, the Dibrugarh Municipal Board vide order DM/EStd/2006/216-220 dated 02-06-2008 sealed the illegal factory in running condition on June 5, 2008 on the ground that it was violating section 219 (8), 228 (1) and 221 of Assam Municipal Act 1956 and zoning regulation No 6.2.2 (c) and (h) under section 10 (2) read with section 13 of the Assam Town Planning Act 1959 (amended) because the same is not allowed to be established in municipal area as per the said regulations. Moreover, the writ petition filed by Sardar Resham Singh in Gauhati High Court was reportedly dismissed. However, Resham Singh is still running the workshop without complying with orders.

There are several other illegal furniture manufacturing units which run showrooms at the front and operate inside with heavy electrical machines. Whether playschools, medical clinics and garages etc. should be allowed in the residential areas also needs to be examined.

Next Story