Dust pollution from a rice mill plagues residential area of Mahaica

Dear Editor,
One decade and two years have passed since residents have been complaining about a rice miller in Mahaica. The season comes and goes year after year and there is no action taken against the dust pollution caused by his mill.

The Executive Director of the Environ-mental Protection Agency would have the records of our complaints and we need not mention them again except as a reminder – we are eating paddy husk, we are sleeping on paddy husk and our properties are being destroyed. Women are cleaning every hour of the day and taking children to the hospital daily for skin problems, wheezing, etc.

Who is investing in the residents’ health? Who is investing in the residents’ property? We are told that the miller invested billions of dollars in his rice mill; who gave him permission to do that in a residential area? And who is allowing additional structures to go up?
We need answers; we must live in a healthy environment this is taking advantage of the highest order.
Yours faithfully,
Loretta Singh
Editor’s note
We are sending a copy of this letter to Dr Indarjit Ramdass, Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency for any comment he might wish to make.