UML demands closure of polluting meat processing unit

ITAHARI, Oct 26: District Committee of CPN-UML has demanded the local administration to either compel Sea-Max Foods -- a meat processing unit established with Chinese investment of Rs 20 million -- to properly manage its waste or shut it down.



The party placed the demand following a visit by its leaders to the factory in Narshing of Sunsari on complaints filed by locals. [break]



"The whole locality smells foul because the company does not manage its wastes properly," said Rewatiraman Bhandari, Chairman of UML district committee. "If the company cannot dispose of its wastes properly, it must be shut down because it poses risks to public health," he said.



Sea-Max has been repeatedly asked by the District Development Committee and District Administration Office (DAO), Sunsari, to put in place a waste management system but the company has not acted on those warnings so far.



A district-level environment committee led by Local Development Officer (LDO) of Sunsari that studied the case had on August 7 formally written to the company to take steps to address public concerns, adding that it was the final warning to the company from the local administration to comply with its instruction.



"Sadly, the company has not yet complied with the instruction. If the company continues to disobey our instructions, we will be forced to request the Ministry of Industry to scarp its operating license," LDO Krishna Prasad Sapkota told Republica.



According to Sapkota, the company management has so far avoided the issue by saying that it will invite the investors and approach the local administration for talks.



"It had claimed the investors will reach Sunsari in September for consultation. But a month has already passed by since the September deadline and we have not heard from the company so far," he added.



Officials said the problem with the company is it directly dumps the wastes, unfit meat, blood and other useless output of the production process in the Sunsari river.



Bal Krishna Adhikari, a Sea-Max official, however, blamed the CPN-UML of trying to unnecessarily politicize the issue.



"Office of Livestock Services that inspected the industry just on Sunday has said everything is okay with the industry," he stated.

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