Residents oppose NRL Bio Refinery Project

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

GOLAGHAT (Dhekial), May 26: The residents of Owguri in Numaligarh have registered massive protests against the implementation of the ambitious Bio Refinery Project of the Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) at Owguri under Ponka Gaon Panchayat in Golaghat district.

The residents of the area said that the proposed Bio Refinery Project would cause harmful effect on them. They have demanded immediate halt of the construction of the project.

In this regard, the residents of the area organized a protest meeting on May 22 at Rajabari.

The local people have also submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner of Golaghat on May 23 demanding to stop the proposed project. They also stated that apart from human elephant clash pollution level will also rise in the whole area for this project and questions arising regarding the permission by the Forest Department and Pollution Control Board as the area come under ‘ No Development Zone ‘.

Talking to reporters local youths Rubul Lohar, Goutam Tanti and Amjad Ali, who have organized the meeting, said that if the Bio Refinery Project is implemented it will cause severe pollution in surrounding areas.

“And the construction of a big wall at Owguri, which is known as elephant corridor, will obstruct the movement of wild elephants,” they said.

“Besides, the area has been declared as ‘No Development Zone’ for all. But without obtaining permission from Forest Department and Pollution Control Board, the NRL has taken up the project,” they said.

It is to be mentioned that the NRL had already done a similar activity a couple of months ago by blocking elephant corridor to make a Golf Ground for leisure and amusement of its officers. A PIL had been filed at the Gauhati High Court and now the Golf Ground Project is stopped for the time being following the court orders.