"The Committee Reveals Seven Complaints Filed by Locals Against Cement Plant in the Past Three Years"
Bilaspur, January 28: A joint committee formed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has uncovered significant violations at the ACC Limited cement plant in Barmana, Bilaspur district, Himachal Pradesh, highlighting serious non-compliance with environmental standards.
The committee, led by Subdivisional Magistrate Abhishek Garg, presented its report to the tribunal on January 24, revealing three critical issues at the cement plant: insufficient dust emission control, absence of a proper three-layer tree plantation, and defects in the truck-tyre washing systems installed on the premises.
The tribunal scheduled the next hearing for February 25, following a session on Monday.
The tribunal was notified that in April 2022, the Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board (HPPCB) fined the ACC cement plant a total of Rs 1.29 crore for two significant violations—Rs 1.10 crore for breaching air quality standards between January and December 2021, and Rs 19.50 lakh for discharging untreated water from February to April 2022.
The committee also revealed that over the past three years, local residents had filed at least seven complaints against the cement plant, highlighting ongoing concerns.
The committee, which included Dr. Narender Sharma, a scientist from the Central Pollution Control Board, and Pawan Sharma, Regional Officer of HPPCB, conducted a site visit to the cement plant on January 18. The committee was formed in response to a complaint filed in September 2024 by Kashmir Thakur, a resident of Khetad village near Barmana, who raised concerns about significant air pollution from the plant’s activities.
The tribunal was informed that the cement plant was undergoing annual maintenance from January 3 to February 8, 2025. During the committee’s visit on January 18, only one kiln was in operation, and it was running at just 40 percent capacity. Recognizing the necessity for a more comprehensive investigation under full operational conditions, the committee requested an extension of eight weeks to complete its final report.
In its report, the committee highlighted, “The plant was instructed to put in place measures to prevent accidental pollutant discharge, particularly dust emissions during grid failures. However, these measures have not yet been implemented. Dust emissions were noted around the clinker, ash, and cement silos, causing significant discomfort to the surrounding residents.”
The committee noted, “The plant’s consent to operate required the establishment of a three-layer tree plantation along its boundary to reduce air and noise pollution, yet this essential measure has not been carried out. Additionally, while a truck tyre washing system was installed at the raw material exit, there was no system in place to remove oil and grease from the recycled wastewater. The plant is also still in the process of setting up a tyre-washing system at the cement exit point to prevent dust from being transported beyond the premises.”
In December 2024, the tribunal instructed the committee to reassess the status of its previous ruling from December 2015, which had imposed an environmental compensation of Rs 50 lakh on the ACC cement plant. The committee reported that it was currently reviewing the documents submitted by the plant in relation to this matter.
In his complaint, Kashmir Thakur claimed that ACC Limited has been producing cement for several years, but the plant’s dust separation system was either malfunctioning or poorly installed. This has led to dust from the cement production process settling on pathways, roads, and nearby residential areas, causing significant distress to local residents. He further stated that the plant had not taken effective measures to manage or control fugitive (unintentional) emissions.
Cement production at the ACC Limited plant involves the grinding and blending of raw materials rich in calcium oxide, like limestone, with siliceous substances such as clay, shale, and sand, along with various additives like alumina and iron ore. This mixture is then subjected to high temperatures in a kiln to produce cement.
The resulting “clinker” is cooled and ground with gypsum to create ordinary Portland cement, or blended with pozzolanic materials like fly ash to produce blended cement. The primary raw materials for cement production include limestone, gypsum, and fly ash, while coal serves as the fuel in the kilns.
The primary raw materials for cement production include limestone, gypsum, fly ash, and coal, the latter of which is used as fuel in the kilns. Limestone for the plant is sourced from a captive mine located approximately 4 km away by road. Crushed limestone is transported via a land-enclosed belt conveyor to the plant, where it is processed in a cement kiln to produce clinker. The kiln is equipped with a suspension preheater system that recycles heat from the flue gases for improved energy efficiency.
The plant uses a dry process for cement production and harnesses waste heat from the cement kilns to dry the raw materials. Any remaining waste heat is captured through a waste heat recovery system to generate power. Gypsum and fly ash are ground in the cement mill in precise proportions to produce the final product. The cement is then stored in silos, sent to the packing plant, and packed using automated machines before being dispatched.