Kathmandu, Nov 28: Locals have been agitated demanding to reduce the pollution emitting from the Lumbini Sugar Mill Limited.

Saying that the pollution from the Lumbini Sugar Mill of the Sunwal Municipality, Nawalparasi West, is adversely impacting public health, locals of the Sunwal have demanded pollution reduction from the mill. 

The locals of the Sunwal have informed about their demand to keep pollution under check through press conferences by forming the Lumbini Sugar Mill Pollution Control Struggle Committee. 

The Lumbini Sugar Mill Limited was established in the Sunwal Municipality-1, as per the agreement between the then government and the Government of the Republic of China in 1989. 

The locals said that the pollution from the Mill has increased following its privatization in 2005. 

Locals said that the owner of the Mill has not installed the advanced technology therefore smoke, dust and ash coming out from the distillery have polluted the environment.  

Tek Prashad Neupane, Vice Co-coordinator of the Lumbini Sugar Mill Pollution Control Struggle Committee said that the polluted water coming out from the distillery has polluted the Sunwal Bazaar and has an adverse impact on public health. 

Mill had signed the agreement to reduce pollution last year but it is yet to be implemented. 

Yuv Raj Dhakal, Co-coordinator of the Lumbini Sugar Mill Pollution Control Struggle Committee said that nothing has been done and adopted to reduce dust, smoke and ash coming out from the Mill, which in turn has directly impacted the locals. 

The mill stretches 86 Bigha of land and has three plants under operation which produce sugar, sprint plant and liquor. 

It has polluted air making it difficult for locals to breathe as well and the smoke, dust and ash coming out from the Mill gets stuck in clothes kept for sun drying. Likewise, water pollution is caused by contamination from mills are being mixed directly into the water streams. 

Sunwal Municipality 1,3,4, and 6 are directly affected by pollution and around 70 thousand people face pollution adversity from it. 

Mill and concerned authorities had coordinated once to minimize pollution but nothing solid has come out from it, which has further agitated the locals.