Notice to thermal power stations, coal companies in MP and UP for mismanagement of dump yards

The National Green Tribunal has directed the state government to issue notices to thermal power stations and coal companies in the energy capital of India — Sonbhadra (Uttar Pradesh) and Singrauli (Madhya Pradesh) — directing them to submit status reports on their dump yards on July 6.

Updated on: May 22, 2015, 23:13:29 IST

Hindustan Times | By Neeraj Santoshi, Bhopal

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The National Green Tribunal has directed the state government to issue notices to thermal power stations and coal companies in the energy capital of India — Sonbhadra (Uttar Pradesh) and Singrauli (Madhya Pradesh) — directing them to submit status reports on their dump yards on July 6.

Principal bench of the tribunal in New Delhi issued the directions while admitting a petition alleging ‘mismanagement of the dump yards meant for fly ash and coal overburden’ and high pollution levels in the region that was adversely affecting the health and life of the residents.

The petition was filed by social activist Pankaj Mishra.

Justice UD Salvi, judicial member and Dr DK Agrawal, expert member issued the directions on May 19, however, the copy of the order was made available on Thursday.

The next hearing in the case has been scheduled for July 6.

According to the applicant, regardless of safety measures prescribed under the environmental consent and the consent to operate, the thermal power station and collieries were dumping the fly ash and coal overburden, respectively, and causing massive environmental pollution, which was detrimental to common man.

Hearing the plea, the NGT directed the thermal power stations and coal companies in the area to manage their dump yards as per the terms and conditions prescribed in the grant of environment clearance and consent to operate, and to take all such measures for checking the environment pollution.

In his petition, applicant also referred to the case filed by advocate Ashwani Dubey with the NGT, regarding the ‘pollution in Rihand reservoir caused by discharge of fly ash and other effluents from nearby thermal power plants and other polluting industries.’

According to the petitioner, these industries, in utter violation of law, were storing and dumping the fly ash in open areas much beyond the prescribed limit and were disposing the same in Rihand, canals, ponds, etc due to which water had become polluted and unfit for human or animal consumption.

The petitioner alleged that the state functionaries had not taken any proper care towards the environmental issues in Singrauli area which is admittedly a highly polluted zone now.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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