Penden Cement Authority suffers dust emission release

Residents of Gomtu town in Samtse, Bhutan, say dust particles from the Penden Cement Authority Ltd's (PCAL) plant have been causing pollution. Residents reported thick dust particles emitted from the plant during the lockdown. A complaint was lodged to the PCAL management.

PCAL's CEO, Tenzin, said due to the pandemic and lockdowns, there are several interruptions in the plant operations, but “there is no direct impact causing serious health hazards." 

"Frequent shutdowns and startups are not recommended for the smooth operation of the plant. The plant and equipment takes time to stabilise and during the process, the emissions are also comparatively higher," he added.

The CEO said it is not possible to attend to plant emergencies during the pandemic and lockdown like the normal days. "Dust emissions were observed from 'kiln inlet' mainly due to interruptions in the process and it was not possible to immediately attend to the problem."

Tenzin said PCAL managed to shut down the kiln and rectify the problem. After this, dust emissions at the plant returned to normal levels PCAL is planning to procure a vacuum truck and upgrade the plant to a dust-free plant in the future.