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The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on September 26, 2024 directed the formation of a joint committee to investigate allegations of unscientific fly ash disposal by industries in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh.
The committee will include representatives from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Raipur; the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB); the Chhattisgarh State Pollution Control Board; and the district magistrate of Raigarh. The CPCB will serve as the nodal agency for coordination and compliance.
The committee was tasked with inspecting the site, collecting relevant information and determining whether industries are adhering to consent conditions and environmental clearance (EC) requirements, particularly regarding fly ash disposal and the development of green belts or plantations. The report must be submitted within one month.
The next hearing is scheduled for November 4, 2024.
Bajrang Agarwal, from Raigarh Paryavaran Mitra, submitted a letter stating that numerous medium and large industries, primarily coal-based power plants, furnace industries, coal washeries, coal depots and rolling mills, are operating in the Raigarh district. Despite the EC conditions requiring 33 per cent of the land to be developed as a green belt, these industries have not complied.
According to data from the environment department, these industries produce approximately 15.2 million tonnes of fly ash annually, which is not being scientifically disposed of. Instead, it is dumped in agricultural fields and forest areas, causing significant environmental damage. In Raigarh, every resident within a 20-kilometre radius is suffering from the unscientific disposal of fly ash, which falls like rain on homes and people, Agarwal said.
The NGT, September 26, 2024, directed authorities not to alter the alignment of the seasonal rivulet called N Choe or Chai Nala in SAS Nagar, Punjab without conducting an appropriate study.
The application was registered based on a letter from Dildeep Singh Basi, highlighting a notification issued by the principal secretary for department of housing and urban development, Punjab, regarding the blockage and realignment of the stream N Choe near Manauli village, Mohali tehsil, SAS Nagar district. N Choe has flowed naturally for over 200 years, Basi’s letter said.
The realignment is being implemented without a land survey for water flow and without obtaining the necessary permissions from the competent authority. The realignment scheme appears to benefit private interests, particularly Janta Land Promoters and Developers Ltd (JLPL), according to the application.
It was also mentioned that the proposed realignment would cause water to flow both uphill and downhill in certain sections, posing a potential risk during natural disasters such as floods. It is essential to consider these aspects before proceeding with any realignment, the application stated.
The eastern bench of the NGT, September 25, 2024, ordered the creation of a three-member inspection committee to investigate illegal crusher operations and mining activities in the Rupa area of West Kameng, Arunachal Pradesh.
The committee was instructed to submit a fact-finding report. If the panel confirmed environmental violations, it must identify the offenders so they may be added as respondents to the ongoing case and given an opportunity to be heard.
The court also ordered notices to be issued to the principal secretary, department of environment and forest, Arunachal Pradesh; the Arunachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board; the district mining officer; the divisional/deputy commissioner of West Kameng and the Central Pollution Control Board. All respondents were told to submit their counter-affidavits within four weeks.
A complainant alleged that the crushers and mining activities have been operating for several years without the required licences and tax payments. The mining activities in the Gaccham area of Rupa tehsil exemplify the collusion between the local administration and the illegal mining mafia, the application stated. Furthermore, rapid deforestation is taking place due to these activities, with the adverse effects likely to be felt during the upcoming monsoon season.