PAC against carcass plant near Mattewara, the Satluj

Ludhiana: Members of the public action committee on Mattewara forest, the Satluj and the Buddha Dariya are strongly opposed to the setting up of a carcass plant at Garhi Fazal near Mattewara in Koom Kalan on the banks of the river. They wrote a letter to CM Bhagwant Mann Tuesday, expressing their objection to the proposed plant owing to ecological concerns.In the letter, the PAC members drew the state govt's attention to its public announcement about the promotion and preservation of Mattewara as a sacred historical forest, including the establishment of a biodiversity park and ecotourism zone, and the simultaneous advancement of a red category industrial unit, such as a carcass processing plant. It is contradictory, dangerous and deeply concerning, they wrote.The PAC members said the project blatantly violates the commitment made by the CM on Aug 11, 2022 to preserve and promote Mattewara forest. Setting up a highly polluting, red category industry near the Satluj poses the risk of irreversible contamination of water resources, already under stress. They said such plants emit toxic odours, airborne bacteria, and dispose of organic waste that contaminates the soil and surrounding environment, including planned ecotourism initiatives such as botanical gardens and butterfly parks, the flora and fauna of the region, and the sacred forest, which is proposed to be expanded.They also fear that there will be a potential rise in diseases due to the presence of waste and decaying organic matter and degradation of air quality, affecting nearby villages and communities.The ongoing and proposed green projects promise sustainable livelihoods, ecotourism employment, and community engagement. All such progress will be reversed if the carcass plant is approved. The PAC members have urged PUDA, Glada, the state govt and administrative bodies concerned to immediately revoke the proposal for the carcass plant at the ecologically sensitive site on the floodplains of the Satluj.