Environmental Activist Files NGT Appeal Against Bulk Drug Park Clearance in Himachal Pradesh
An environmental activist has lodged a formal appeal with the National Green Tribunal (NGT), challenging the environmental clearance granted by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) for the Bulk Drug Park in Una district, Himachal Pradesh. The pharmaceutical manufacturing hub, spanning 568 hectares in Pollian Beet, Haroli sub-division, faces allegations of multiple environmental violations that could impact over 400,000 residents.
Pre-Clearance Land Alteration and Scientific Omissions
According to the appeal filed by activist Rohit Singh, significant terrain alteration activities—including extensive tree felling and land levelling—were conducted at the project site even before environmental clearance was officially granted. The petition highlights that an Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) had previously flagged critical concerns such as landslide susceptibility, drainage disruption, and erosion risks at the location.
The EAC directed fresh studies by the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), but these scientific assessments were never incorporated into the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) or public hearings. This omission, the petition argues, renders the environmental clearance fundamentally defective and incomplete.
Hazardous Chemical Risks and Wildlife Threats
The EIA document lists 59 hazardous chemicals slated for manufacture at the Bulk Drug Park, many of which fall under Schedule 3 of the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules, 1989. Despite this, no quantitative risk assessment, toxic dispersion modeling, or off-site emergency plan was conducted, constituting a clear violation of statutory safety regulations.
Furthermore, the project area is home to Schedule 1 species of animals, including leopards, pythons, and cobras. Yet, no wildlife conservation plan has been approved by the chief wildlife warden, raising serious concerns about biodiversity protection. The petition also alleges that the EIA misclassifies the site as "sporadic forest," contradicting the forest department's classification of it as a "compact wooded block" containing over 21,000 trees.
Deficient Public Consultation and Legal Proceedings
Public hearings for the project were conducted in only one village, despite a 10-kilometer impact zone encompassing multiple habitations. Mandatory disclosures regarding slope stability, hazardous chemicals, and water demand were not made publicly available, undermining the transparency of the clearance process.
Rohit Singh initially approached the NGT in April 2025, reporting land mining and site disturbance around the proposed Bulk Drug Park. However, the MoEFCC granted environmental clearance on September 25, 2025, prompting Singh to file this appeal. He has also submitted an interlocutory application requesting an immediate stay on construction activities, arguing that the clearance was issued while the matter was sub judice.
Allegations of Misleading Reports and Harassment
The petition claims that a joint committee formed by the state government falsely reported "no site disturbance" in August 2025, despite aerial evidence from May and June 2025 showing mining activities near and inside the project boundary. Both the project proponent and the MoEFCC allegedly repeated these assertions in affidavits to the NGT, misleading the tribunal.
In a concerning development, the Himachal Pradesh government registered an FIR against Rohit Singh on July 2, 2025, and initiated a civil suit on July 5, 2025—shortly after he used geo-tagged drone footage to expose illegal mining at the site. The petition states that police investigation focused disproportionately on locating the drone rather than addressing the underlying environmental violations, subjecting Singh to repeated summons, coercive investigations, unlawful searches, and sustained harassment.
Requests to the NGT and Project Background
The petitioner has appealed to the NGT to issue restraining orders on all project-related activities, including construction, tree felling, land disturbance, and mining. He has also requested that the tribunal set aside the environmental clearance and direct the MoEFCC to initiate penalty proceedings against the project proponent, Himachal Pradesh Bulk Drug Park Infrastructure Ltd (HPBDPIL).
The Bulk Drug Park was inaugurated with the foundation stone laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2022, and work commencement was inaugurated by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu in June 2024. The current legal challenge underscores ongoing tensions between industrial development and environmental safeguards in the region.
