Fly ash: NGT asks thermal plant to reply within two months

Mukesh Tandon

Panipat, November 11

Dissatisfied with the reply of the Panipat Thermal Power Station (PTPS) in a case related to fly ash dumping, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed it for compliance with environmental clearance (EC) conditions and sought an additional reply in the matter within two months.

Report sought on disposal

Following a complaint by Subhender of Sutana village, the NGT sought a detailed report from the Panipat Thermal Power Station about the disposal of fly ash in the last three years and specific timeline for complete disposal of legacy fly ash.

Subhender of Sutana village had filed a complaint against the PTPS at Khukhrana village with the NGT last year. He had alleged that the plant, which is based on coal, dumps fly ash residue in a nearby area.

“Commuters are facing problems due to fly ash particles present in the air in nearby villages, including Sutana, Jatal, Khukhrana, Untla and Aasan, especially during the summer season. Besides posing a risk of road accidents, fly ash is also adversely affecting the health of animals in the area,” he added.

Following the complaint, the NGT sought a detailed report from the PTPS about the disposal of fly ash in the last three years and specific timeline for complete disposal of legacy fly ash.

In reply, the chief engineer of the PTPS has given details regarding disposal of fly ash, plantation carried out and CER/CSR activities in the area. He said there was 350 lakh MT of legacy fly ash as on April 1, 2016, which has been reduced to 118 lakh MT up to September 30. The entire pond ash stored in the dykes will be utilised completely in three-four years, the chief engineer claimed. He added that Rs 1.05 crore had been spent on corporate environmental responsibility (CER)/ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities in three years.

The Principal Bench of the NGT in its order said the PTPS had not mentioned in its reply about the details regarding plantation required to be carried out and actually carried out by it in accordance with the EC granted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) with details of area, number of trees, survival rate and density of plantation.

The PTPS has spent Rs 1.05 crore on CER/CSR activities but the amount spent on renovation of the Government Sanskriti Primary School, Jatal village, and training of ITI students are merely educational activities benefiting a limited number of students and not residents of the locality suffering from adverse impacts of environmental pollution in the area from the project, the order read.

The NGT directed the PTPS to file an additional reply with all relevant details in compliance with the EC conditions.

It also directed the chief engineer to appear with the relevant records on March 21, 2024, the next date of hearing.