Residents of Jodhpura village staged their dharna in front of the district collectorate in Kotputli, Rajasthan, after the government assured that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) verdict in connection with the cement plant would be complied with. Villagers have long complained about the power plant’s impact on the region’s environment.
The Central Zone Bench of the NGT in Bhopal in November 2025 ordered UltraTech Cement, which has two limestone crushing units and a cement plant in Jodhpura, to pay compensation for damages to health and environment and issued directions for green belt development and rehabilitation of affected villagers outside the mining sites.
Pollution, health problems
Villagers have been agitating against the plant for more than three years, and their houses are cracking due to vibrations caused by blasting, air pollution and health problems such as skin allergies, rashes, acne and itchy eyes that are common in the region.
Jodhpura, which has a population of 3,000, faces the problem of noise and air pollution due to its proximity to the UtraTech Cement limestone quarry. The NGT judgement, delivered on a petition filed by the Jodhpura Sangharsh Samiti, addressed the issue and directed the state government to demarcate a line and ensure that no blasting takes place within 500 meters of a dwelling.
The cement company was ordered to pay ₹50,000 to 142 people for structural damage caused to their houses and ₹20,000 to 109 people suffering from pollution-related illnesses. The NGT also directed the Chief Secretary to constitute a committee to take measures to rehabilitate the villagers outside the present site.
Term ends
The Jodhpura Sangharsh Samiti, which spearheaded the protest with an indefinite dharna outside a temple in the village, escalated the agitation last week, claiming that the three-month deadline set by the NGT to implement its verdict had passed and no tangible action had been taken.
Sangharsh Samiti secretary Kailash Yadav told The Hindu that the dharna outside the district collectorate in Kotputli brought the issue into the limelight and forced the administration to “act quickly”. The dharna was called off on March 25 when an assurance was given that time-bound action would be taken in accordance with the NGT judgment.
Immediate steps, according to the ruling, include recharging groundwater, stopping blasting at night, covering the crushing area with a tarp, spraying water on driveways, developing pastures or offering alternative feed for livestock, and using bag filters, vacuum extraction hoods and dry misting systems.
Members of the Sangharsh Samiti took out a foot march to meet Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma during the assembly session on February 22 but were stopped by the police. Mr. Yadav said a written agreement was signed with an assurance to enforce the NGT orders, but it remained unfulfilled.
Villagers are hopeful that compliance will be ensured after the Kotputli agitation. A survey conducted by Kotputli’s Assistant Mining Engineering on 24 March found that the blast site was less than 500 meters from the village temple and no signboard with related information had been installed near the houses or the government school.
Former city councilor Gokul Chand Yadav, 72, said both his arms were infected with allergies and similar health problems were found in almost every household in Jodhpura. A government report also shows that pollution in the village in winter can be three times higher than the safe limit.
Aniket Khola shows a crack in the main wall of his house in Jodhpura village, caused by the impact of blasting at a nearby limestone quarry. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
It is said that the blasts did not stop even after the NGT verdict. Aniket Khola, 17, a Class 12 student, said cracks had developed in the main wall of his house, while several neighbors reported cracks in the roof slabs and falling plaster. “Several times we are forced to sleep in the open as shelling continues throughout the night,” he said.
The NGT also directed the Collector to make necessary arrangements for medical facilities to the villagers affected by the mining with provision of free medicines and regular check-ups at an interval of two weeks. From the resources of the District Mineral Foundation (DMF), a permanent facility for the treatment of disabled persons is also to be established at a nearby location.
Published – 28 March 2026 23:57 IST
