Pollution due to loading and unloading of clinker transport at Harduaganj railway station, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, 01/12/2022
Joint committee report in the matter of Mukesh Kumar Chauhan Vs State of Uttar Pradesh, 01/12/2022.
The applicant, Mukesh Kumar Chauhan in his complaint before the NGT said that J K Cement, village Satha, Aligarh and other companies are getting clinker, required by them for manufacture of cement, transported from Harduaganj railway station near village Satha, district Aligarh. During loading and unloading clinker evaporates causing damage to the environment and health hazards to the residents.
Clinker is a nodular material produced in the kilning stage during the production of cement and is used as the binder in many cement products.
The NGT vide order dated September 5, 2022 directed a committee to verify the factual position.
The committee carried out an inspection, November 10, 2022. It was observed that the clinker was unloaded manually from wagons at Harduaganj railway station, which was then loaded on trucks and transported to 2 cement plants (J K Cement and Mangalam Cement). Fugitive emission was observed while unloading and loading of clinker at station.
No permanent system for dust suppression was observed at railway station and the existing system for fugitive emission control is observed to be inadequate and improper.