Guj HC stays construction at Nirma's cement plant in Mahuva

In a major jolt to Nirma Limited, Gujarat High Court today ordered a stay on all construction activities at company's upcoming cement plant in Mahuva taluka of Bhavnagar district while hearing a petition by Shree Mahuva Bandhara Khetiwadi Pariyavaran Ran Bachav Samitee (SMBKPRBS) consisting of farmers, who are opposing Nirma Ltd’s cement plant contending that out of the 268 hectare alloted, 222 hectares of land belongs to a water-body.

A division bench of Chief Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya and Justice Akil Kureshi further ordered that the stay would become effective from Thursday following a request by Nirma Ltd's lawyer Mihir Thakore, who said that his clients needed a day's time to finish construction of a concrete raft which was already on the verge of completion.

The division bench stayed the company’s activity on the site after the petitioner farmers produced maps and images obtained from Google Earth as well as ISRO’s Remote Sensing Agency showing that the proposed plant is situated in the catchment area of the reservoir and obstructing water channel.

The farmers, led by BJP MLA from Mahua Kanu Kalsariya, have also contended that the cement plant poses a threat to agriculture and animal husbandry besides causing irreparable damage to the environment.

"The respondents (Nirma Ltd) would keep status quo and not make further construction or change the landscape of the land under question," the court ordered.

During the hearing of the case, farmers' lawyer Anand Yagnik submitted satellite imageries, obtained from National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA), Hyderabad showing the water bodies near Samadhiyada village where Nirma Ltd's cement plant is coming up. Nirma's plant is estimated to have a capacity of 1.5 million tpa is likely to entail cost of Rs 1,000 crore.

The state government has reportedly allotted 4,000 hectares which included wasteland and grazing land in villages such Dudheri, Gajera, Delia and Amlia in Bhavnagar.