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In a setback to Mahagenco, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the power utility to strictly abide by the union ministry for environment and forests' (MoEF) notification which calls for use of clean coal technology to bring down pollution levels and menace of fly ash generated by inferior coal quality. The January 2 notification prohibits coal and power utilities from using the coal having over 34% ash content citing threats to environment and public health.

 

The NGT's stern directives came while hearing an application of Mahadula-based social activist Ratnadeep Rangari who pointed out that all power and coal companies were blatantly flouting MoEF norms in this regard. The Pune-based Western Zone bench comprising Justice VR Kingaonkar (judicial member) and Ajay Deshpande (expert member) told power utility to strictly follow the norms while granting interim relief to Rangari.

 

During the last hearing, Mahagenco sought more time to for reply due to non-availability of reports pertaining to impact of coal particle matters on health of citizens residing in the proximity of power plants. The NGT had warned Mahagenco that if it failed to reply it would consider granting interim relief since details submitted by the applicant prima facie indicate that there is a substantial issue related to environment.

 

Rangari's stand was endorsed by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) claiming that it had issued directives to use coal below 34% ash content to reduce pollution caused by 15 stand-alone thermal power stations in Vidarbha. The MPCB affidavit mentioned that since 1997 they had repeatedly directed power companies to use clean coal and use beneficiation technology to reduce impurities so as to minimize environmental damage. The board put onus of supplying coal within MoEF norms on coal utilities and its consumption on Mahagenco while expressing helplessness in monitoring the actual coal quality.

 

Earlier, Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) in its affidavit refuted the allegations of supplying inferior quality coal to Mahagenco and also referred to Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court's order of March 6 by which earlier order of October 9 about third party sampling was recalled. The coal utility passed buck on Mahagenco while stating that as per sample reports, the coal quality was as per the norms.

 

NGT had issued notice to the Maharashtra government, Coal India Limited (CIL) and others while taking a serious cognisance of alarming pollution caused due to thermal power plants in Vidarbha which uses inferior quality of coal. Rangari charged coal and power utilities with flouting MoEF norms, polluting air, poisoning water and reducing Vidarbha to a gas chamber which had put lives of over 20 million people in danger.

 

 

Source: ToI