A huge rally was taken out in Kharod village on Monday morning, to give a memorandum to Surat collector to permanently ban Gujarat Enviro Protection & Infrastructure Ltd (GEPIL). The villagers are protesting ineffective functioning of the company which has been assigned the critical task of incinerating and treating several tons of hazardous waste received from industries in Ankleshwar and Vapi. It has been alleged that the company's incinerator has never functioned properly and the toxic waste is disposed into the sea through the Unnkhadi totally untreated.
In 2010, after scores of representations from villagers, GPCB passed an order to dismantle the company, but GEPIL managed to secure permit to continue to accept hazardous waste for incineration. However, of late, several big and small fish have been found dead near the Mindhola estuary. Recently, 300 buffaloes died after grazing on toxic grass and drinking contaminated water of the Unnkhadi passing nearby, where GEPIL is alleged to be disposing its untreated toxic waste.
Supported by Mahuva MLA Kanu Kalsariya, former finance minister Sanat Mehta and local activists, a huge rally reached the collector's office demanding permanent closure of the company.
Meanwhile in Ahmedabad, Congress president Arjun Modhwadia alleged that chief minister Narendra Modi was hand in glove with the polluting company. He claimed that owner of GEPIL Girish Luthra funded Modi's chartered flight to China and was part of his delegation, indicating this as the reason for the government not taking action against the polluting company.
However, the state government refuted the allegations. "This is an utter lie. Neither Luthra nor any other GEPIL official was on the China tour. We challenge Modhwadia to prove that Luthra had accompanied the CM to China," government spokesperson Saurabh Patel said.
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