Lagatar24 Desk
Ramgarh: The Congress party on Tuesday held a press conference at Manohar Residency in Ramgarh, accusing Bihar Foundry Casting Limited (BFCL) of unleashing severe environmental pollution that threatens public health.
The Congress alleged that BFCL’s new plant, located in Ward No. 1 under the Ramgarh Cantonment area, is responsible for dangerous levels of air, water, and noise pollution, severely affecting the town’s residents, particularly children and the elderly.
Party leaders declared that the pollution constitutes “violence against the people of Ramgarh”, with rising respiratory illnesses being reported in the area. Residents, they said, are suffering due to relentless factory noise within a one-kilometre radius, and pollution has rendered water sources like ponds and wells toxic, while agricultural land has turned barren. Even animals and birds are falling sick from contaminated water, the party claimed.
Health Crisis and Mass Exodus
“People are on the verge of abandoning their homes. Doctors have already raised objections to the local MP regarding this issue,” leaders said, adding that the plant is located dangerously close to residential zones, violating zoning norms.
Though the area was designated for small-scale industries, the BFCL has reportedly expanded beyond permissible limits and is now operating as a red-category industry, which is not allowed in such zones or within cantonment limits.
Congress: ‘We’re not anti-industry, but people come first’
“We are not against industries,” Congress leaders clarified, “but no factory should operate at the cost of human lives. If any industry harms public health, it must be shut down immediately.”
BFCL has reportedly claimed that its pollution control equipment is under repair and will be restored soon, but Congress slammed this excuse as irresponsible. The management, they alleged, continues production while knowingly harming the environment and forcing the public to suffer.
April 8 Deadline or Public Protest
The party has issued a clear ultimatum: if the foundry fails to completely curb pollution by April 8, Congress will launch a public agitation to safeguard Ramgarh residents from what it calls “pollution violence”.
The press conference saw participation from several leaders, including Shantanu Mishra, CP Santan, Baljit Singh Bedi, Khogendra Saw, Bheem Prasad Sahu, Mukesh Yadav, Sanjay Saw, and Balram Saw.
