Assam: Pollution from cement plants poses risk to IAF equipment at Digaru base, says research group
Guwahati: As the Indian Air Force marked its 93rd anniversary with an impressive aerial display over the Brahmaputra recently , a civic research organisation has issued a warning about a growing environmental and national security concern near one of the IAF’s key logistical bases in Assam.
The Centre for Efficient Governance (CEG) has urged the government to launch an urgent scientific study into the impact of cement dust, fly ash and industrial vibrations on sensitive defence infrastructure at Air Force Station (AFS) Digaru in Sonapur.
The base houses the 51 Air Stores Park (ASP), a crucial facility responsible for the storage of logistical supplies and precision weaponry for the Indian Air Force in the Northeast.
According to CEG, a cluster of cement factories and a fly ash handling yard located within a 3-km radius of the base pose a potential threat to the longevity and performance of military hardware.
Star Cement lies just 2.4 km away, the under-construction Daivik Cement at 2.7 km, the proposed Taj Cement at 1.9 km, and the Fly Ash yard at Digaru Railway Station sits barely 200 metres from the perimeter.
“The combined pollution from the two existing cement factories of Star Cement, the upcoming cement plants, and the Fly Ash operations at Digaru Railway Station is exposing critical military assets to corrosive and abrasive pollutants,” said Rakesh Hazarika, Executive Director of CEG.
The organisation has warned that particulate matter (PM?.? and PM??) and ground-borne vibrations from heavy truck movement could infiltrate, corrode, or degrade the electronic and mechanical components of advanced weapon systems. Such damage, it said, could compromise operational readiness at a time when regional security tensions remain high.
Calling the situation “not merely an environmental issue, but a matter of national defence preparedness,” CEG has asked the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), CSIR–NEERI, and IIT Guwahati to conduct a joint scientific assessment of the risks.
The group has also reiterated its earlier requests to the Assam Pollution Control Board and the Chief Minister’s Office seeking regulatory action, including decommissioning of high-polluting industries within a 10-km radius of the air base and the installation of a continuous Air Quality Monitoring Station in Sonapur.
With the Indian Air Force stepping up its operational posture in the Northeast, CEG has urged both the Assam government and the Ministry of Defence to treat the matter as a priority national security concern and initiate multi-agency measures to assess and mitigate potential damage to defence assets.