Padampani Pokharel of Somadi Sardewa, Rainadevi Chhahara Rural Municipality-2, Palpa, came to the Chief District Officer's Office at the district headquarters to seek help after he could no longer live in the village. 250 families in this area under Palpa-2 have been struggling for three years.

But none of the CG Cement industry, administration, political parties, candidates, and public representatives have become serious about their demands. 

‘We have presented our problem to all the candidates of all the political parties and rural municipalities,’ Pokharel, who has been suffering from the dust, said at the district headquarters, ‘But no one has taken our problem seriously. Whatever the bigwigs do, it will happen. It is the poor people who die.’

 CG Cement Industries Palpa Pvt. Ltd. (CG Palpa), which opened in Somadi Sardewa, Palpa in 2011, was opened. This company, under the CG Group of industrialist Binod Chaudhary, has a clinker production capacity of 2,950 tons per day. This factory has been fully operational since September 2023. A factory capable of grinding 1,000 tons per day is also in the process of operating. Local residents have complained that they have been suffering from the dust because of this company. 

‘We have been facing many problems while operating a large crusher plant that crushes stones in the middle of our village,’ said victim Pokharel, ‘We have been facing problems eating, living, and sleeping. We have problems not being able to live.’ He complains that the operation of a 10-wheel tipper, the crusher industry, and the dust and smoke emitted from the company have caused problems. When the elections were held for the candidates of political parties, local residents came to the administration to seek help because they had difficulty breathing. ‘The dust reached our beds,’ he said, ‘It became impossible to live, that is why we have come to plead.’ 

There is a settlement next to the company. There are schools, temples, and houses. But the dust and smoke emitted from the company are also affecting us day and night. Pokharel, who is also the chairman of the CG Victims’ Struggle Committee, complained that he had repeatedly approached the administration after the local government and political parties failed to help him, but the administration ignored him. ‘It was very difficult to get help even when we asked for time,’ he said, ‘We have given three days’ time. If the administration ignores us, we will launch our own agitation.' 

Locals facilitated the operation of the industry by providing arable land. They allowed the industry to be established with the expectation of creating employment and supporting local economic development. 'Initially, it was said that when this company opened, it would operate according to standards,' said local Shobha Kant Pokharel. 'We were assured that it would have modern machinery, would not emit dust, and would not affect the locals.' He said that the industry had not implemented the written and verbal agreements made with the residents of the affected area since the construction stage. Pokharel said that the construction work had not been completed and production had started and that it was operating against environmental standards. 

'After the operation of the industry, environmental pollution has increased significantly,' he said, 'due to which the health of local residents has been adversely affected. Problems have arisen in livestock.  Agricultural production has declined, while drinking water and grass are contaminated.’ School education has also been affected due to chemical dust and noise pollution from the industry.’ According to locals, daily life has also become difficult. 

Keshav Pokharel, secretary of the CG Victims’ Struggle Committee, said that the structure was built by encroaching on public and private land, roads, canals and streams. The application for encroachment of public land was registered in Rainadevi Chhahara Rural Municipality on Bhadra 6, 2079. ‘The application was registered in the rural municipality,’ he said, ‘no investigation process has progressed for three years. It has been determined whether the municipality itself gave permission to operate illegally.’ 

According to the Environment Protection Act, 2076 BS and the Environment Protection Regulations, 2077 BS, operating an industry without an approved Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) or without complying with the conditions mentioned in the approved report is a punishable offense, said Secretary Pokharel. He said that the failure to make the approved EIA report public and the failure to implement the pollution control standards mentioned in it in practice clearly indicate that the company is operating illegally. "If it is proven that the industry is operating without an approved EIA or in violation of its conditions, the operation of the industry should be immediately suspended and the responsible body and the industry management should be fined, compensated and other punitive actions should be taken as per the law," he said.

Local victims have been demanding that the approved EIA report of the industry be made public and that an independent technical assessment of the conditions contained in it should be carried out. Local residents have also demanded that the operation of the industry be immediately suspended and an investigation should be carried out. The locals said that the Constitution of Nepal, 2072 (Articles 30 and 35), the Environmental Protection Act, 2076, the Local Government Operation Act, 2074 and the Vehicle and Transport Management Act, 2049 have also been violated. 

According to the Environmental Protection Act, 2076, the polluter bears the loss principle applies, so it is the legal obligation of the industry and the concerned bodies to provide full compensation for the environmental and economic damage caused by the industry. ‘We have submitted a memorandum to the Chief District Officer mentioning this issue,’ said Secretary Pokharel. ‘A memorandum has already been submitted to the District Administration Office, Palpa on Chaitra 28, 2071.’ Although the locals have promised to send a surveyor to collect details of public land and take necessary initiatives to resolve the problem, the locals complain that there has been no concrete implementation.