Rathehal Residents Oppose Proposed Gunpowder Storage Facility in Residential Area

Local residents have opposed an application to open a gunpowder storage facility in Rathehal Ward Number-1 of Nagar Parishad Ghumarwin in Bilaspur district, Himachal Pradesh. They have urged the administration not to grant permission for such a facility in the residential area.

The issue concerns an application submitted by Hussain Akhtar, a resident of Ghumarwin main market, to open a gunpowder storage facility in Rathehal. The application has led to strong opposition among people living in the area.

Residents have said that Rathehal is a residential locality. The area has houses, agricultural land, a public pathway and a mosque. Because of these facilities, people and children regularly move through the locality.

According to the local residents, allowing gunpowder storage in the middle of such a residential area could pose a threat to the safety of the people living there. They have said that even a small lapse during the storage of gunpowder could result in a major accident.

The residents have also expressed apprehension that any such accident could cause heavy loss of life and property to people living nearby. They have maintained that the matter is serious because the proposed storage site is surrounded by places used by local residents.

People from the area have said that they are united in their opposition to the proposal. They have made it clear that permission should not be granted under any circumstances for opening a gunpowder storage facility in a residential area.

Today, a delegation of local residents from Rathehal Ward reached the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Bilaspur. The delegation submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Rahul Kumar and formally placed its objection before the administration.

Through the memorandum, the residents urged the administration to give priority to the safety of the residential area while considering the matter. They also requested that permission to open the gunpowder storage facility should not be granted in Rathehal.

Deputy Commissioner Rahul Kumar assured the delegation that appropriate action would be taken in the matter. The residents have sought administrative consideration of their objection, citing the presence of homes, agricultural land, a public pathway and a mosque in the locality.