SHIMLA: Shimla’s apple farmers are up in arms against the Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board (HPPCB), accusing it of selectively targeting them while turning a blind eye to pollution caused by government-run entities like HPMC, certain industries in BBN Belt  and big hotels  across in the state.

The controversy has sparked outrage across the state, with farmers alleging bias, misuse of power, and double standards.

Last year’s natural disaster left roads blocked and apple crops stranded, forcing farmers in Shimla District to dump their rotting early fast perishable  variety into  local nallah.

With no access to markets, the fruit perished, leaving farmers with no choice but to discard it.

Instead of understanding the farmers’ plight, the Pollution Control Board slapped hefty fines of ₹1,00,000 on couple  of them  from Sheel area of Nawar valley without "conducting proper site visits or pollution testing on August 30,2023", the letter issued by the Pollution board is with Himbumail.

This decision, allegedly taken at the behest of a horticulture minister, has enraged the farming community, who were left with no option but to take the matter to the High Court, where a stay order was granted.

“The Pollution Control Board didn’t even bother to check whether those discarded apples were polluting the stream or not.

They imposed fines on farmers  purely based on a video circulated on social media,” fumed  the farmers.

“Meanwhile, they’ve done nothing about the massive pollution from the HPMC plant in Parala, which is releasing toxic waste into the Giri River, Shimla’s primary water source and several other industrial units in BBN belt” they charged.

Apple farmers have raised serious questions about the board’s selective actions.

The HPMC plant, built at a whopping cost of over ₹100 crore, claimed to be ultramodern,  processes apples under the state’s Market Intervention Scheme.

However, it has been emitting toxic gases into the air and discharging untreated effluents into the Giri River, yet the Pollution Control Board has taken no action. The board claimed that  it has taken samples from the plant testing. 

The board is clueless  on stack monitoring of the plant for air pollution check. So is the case with with its Effluent treatment plant meeting the prescribed norms. 

The Giri River not only supplies drinking water to Shimla but also supports fish and other aquatic life, heightening concerns over the health risks posed by HPMC’s pollution.

IIT Mandi study on underground pollution in BBN belt has exposed the Pollution control board as the study has found that the underground water is toxic far beyond the acceptable units. Why Pollution Board did not take action in all such cases in the state, asked the residents. 

“Why is the Pollution Control Board silent on HPMC’s pollution? Their substandard machinery is polluting our rivers and air, yet the board is busy targeting helpless farmers,” Thakur added.

The Pollution Control Board issued notices to Thakur and other farmers, accusing them of violating sections of the Water Act, 1974, and the Environment Protection Act, 1986, based solely on a report from a local panchayat secretary and a social media video.

Farmers were told to pay environmental compensation of ₹1,00,000 each or face further legal action.

Despite the High Court’s stay on the fines, the board’s handling of the case has fueled widespread anger among the farming community.

Farmers argue that the Pollution Control Board’s double standards are evident, given the lack of action against major polluters like HPMC, hoteliers, and industrial units across the state.

The Giri River, which flows through Shimla, has become a dumping ground for toxic waste from the HPMC plant, and the untreated effluents  released by the hoteliers that have come up along the, Chaila-Huli-Guma-Kotkhai highway,  threatening  the city’s water supply.

However, the board has not shown the same enthusiasm in taking HPMC and hoteliers, Urban local bodies in Jubbal Kokhai, Rohru, Sawara-Hatkoti,  Chopal, Nerwa  to task  in the Giri basin.

“The Pollution Control Board has completely failed in its duty. They are targeting the weakest link – the farmers – while ignoring the bigger polluters. It’s a clear case of selective justice,” said another farmers. 

The pollution control measures in the industrial belts of Baddi, Brotiwala, Nalagarh  and Paonta Sahib have also come under scrutiny.

Farmers accuse the board of corruption and mismanagement, as no public records of pollution tests conducted in these areas have been made available.

They are now demanding that the Pollution Control Board release a public report listing which industrial units are polluting the rivers and air, and what actions have been taken against them.

“If the Pollution Control Board is truly accountable, they need to make their reports transparent and available for public scrutiny,” the farmers demanded.

The HPMC’s  and Hoteliers and industries in BBN belt's  pollution issue has now become a public health concern, yet the board continues to protect them punishing small-scale farmers.

With the farming community fuming over these double standards, the Pollution Control Board finds itself in the crosshairs of both farmers and citizens alike, who demand transparency, accountability, and immediate action.

Readers Comments: 

I know it from its inception or ordered for this big modern unit for govt purchase. I had raised many questions on it for our type of apples and environment. Kalyug hai "Donkey bark loudly"....Its sensors may get eroded earlier or need replacements, for that HPMC won't have a budget to change....- Dr Vijay Thakur, ex- VC, Dr YS Parmar Univ of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan.