J&K Assembly Environment Committee Reviews Industrial Impact at SIDCO Ghatti; High-Level Probe Ordered

KATHUA, DECEMBER 23: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly’s Committee on Environment, led by Chairman Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, visited the SIDCO Industrial Estate at Ghatti, Kathua, to assess the ecological and health impacts of local industrial activities.

Accompanied by several MLAs and senior officials, the committee held detailed discussions with stakeholders regarding the discharge of industrial effluents into water bodies and the resulting damage to agricultural crops in areas like Jhang village. Local delegations raised significant concerns over a proposed cement plant near Kaalna–Bhatodi, arguing that the “red category” industry threatens agro-dependent lands and nearby wildlife sanctuaries.

In response to these grievances and the submission of contaminated water and crop samples, Chairman Tarigami constituted a high-level team, headed by the Chairman of the Pollution Control Committee and the Deputy Commissioner of Kathua, to conduct a ground-level investigation.

The team has been mandated to submit a comprehensive report within 15 days, with the committee reiterating its commitment to ensuring that industrial growth does not come at the expense of public health, livelihoods, or environmental safety.