Billionaire Binod Chaudhary criticized for neglecting environmental impact of Dumkauli plant

KATHMANDU: Chaudhary Industrial Park, a sprawling manufacturing hub owned by billionaire MP Binod Chaudhary in Dumkauli, East Nawalparasi, is facing intense local backlash due to its alleged environmental negligence. This park, touted as a significant employment hub with over 2,200 jobs, is now seen by many locals as a threat to the health and well-being of the surrounding communities. Under the leadership of Ward Chairperson Sharad Ghimire, residents have launched a sit-in protest, calling out the plant’s continuous air and water pollution issues and pressing for accountability from Chaudhary.

The locals’ grievances center around the factory’s use of a husk boiler, which reportedly emits hazardous dust and pollution into nearby residential areas. According to Ghimire, the pollution from the boiler is so severe that residents struggle to carry out their daily activities and live comfortably. Despite repeated appeals to Chaudhary’s management to address these issues, Ghimire says no effective action has been taken. He claims that local authorities and the factory’s management have largely ignored these concerns, leaving residents with no option but to protest.

One of the most damning accusations is that Chaudhary Industrial Park’s pollution control system, intended to treat emissions and wastewater, has been defunct for years. The treatment plant is supposed to filter harmful pollutants before they reach the environment, but locals report it is neglected and malfunctioning. Untreated industrial wastewater reportedly flows directly into a small river east of the factory, which has become an environmental and health hazard for those living nearby. The stench from the polluted stream has reportedly forced some families to consider relocating.

Given that Chaudhary is not only one of Nepal’s wealthiest individuals but also a member of Parliament, residents argue that he has both the resources and responsibility to ensure his operations do not harm the community. Yet, locals allege that Chaudhary’s factory exemplifies profit over people, compromising Dumkauli’s environmental standards while disregarding public welfare. The industrial park’s main outputs—beer, cigarettes, noodles, and Rio juice—are largely commercial in nature, providing little to no direct benefit to the local communities while posing risks to their environment and health.

The locals’ protests reflect a growing frustration with the perceived double standards of Nepal’s wealthy and politically influential figures. Chaudhary has often promoted himself as a businessman committed to Nepal’s economic development, but his inaction in Dumkauli raises questions about the social responsibility of his ventures. For years, locals say they’ve witnessed Chaudhary Industries prioritize production goals over environmental compliance, despite their demands for a cleaner environment and accountability from the billionaire’s team.

Experts believe that this situation is emblematic of a broader issue in Nepal, where large businesses often flout environmental regulations with little consequence, especially if they are linked to influential politicians. This impunity leads to growing resentment among the public, who feel neglected and powerless in the face of unchecked corporate expansion.

Residents are demanding immediate intervention from both local and central government authorities. They insist that, given Chaudhary’s political influence, enforcement agencies and environmental regulators should hold him accountable and require his company to implement necessary pollution control measures immediately. Without such actions, they fear Dumkauli’s environmental crisis will continue to worsen, leaving communities vulnerable and betrayed by those who should be their protectors.

As the protests continue, many are questioning whether Chaudhary will finally heed the call for corporate responsibility and commit to protecting the environment and health of the communities his industrial empire affects.