The Sandur taluk committee of the Communist Party of India–Marxist (CPI-M) staged a demonstration here on Friday opposing the establishment of a coal tar distillation unit at Sultanpur in Toranagal Gram Panchayat.
The activists said that the proposed plant would threaten the environment and also affect the health of the people in the surrounding villages through its hazardous emissions. Epsilon Carbon Private Limited is setting up the plant on about 34.65 acres near Sultanpur, adjacent to JSW Steel to produce around three lakh tonnes of tar per annum.
In a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, the activists pointed out that the original plan was to set up the plant in Belagavi. But it was stalled following large-scale protests and was shifted to Sultanpur.
The gram panchayat has not given its approval for the establishment of the plant following public outcry. They said that they had submitted a memorandum to Sandur MLA E. Tukaram.
Urging the Deputy Commissioner to get the permissions given to the plant withdrawn to protect the people from health hazards, they threatened to intensify the protest if their demand was not considered.
R.S. Basavaraj, secretary of the district committee, was present.
