HYDERABAD:The National Green Tribunal on Thursday issued notices to the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), Telangana government and others to respond to a petition filed complaining that the open cast coal mining at Bhupalpally area was being carried out in gross violation of the environmental laws and various orders passed by the Supreme Court and tribunals.
The tribunal, in New Delhi, was dealing with a petition filed by N Rajalingamurthy from Jayashankar Bhupalpally district seeking direction to the authorities concerned to take steps ensuring that no mining activities takes place in the area in violation of the conditions enumerated in the Environmental Clearance granted to the said activity and that the project proponent implement the assurances made to affected persons during public hearing held in Nov 2015.
Petitioner’s counsel K Sravan Kumar told the tribunal that the activity of open cast coal mining has been adversely affecting the ecosystem and the overall ecology of the area, and thus there was substantial question relating to environment, whereby the community at large was being affected by the environmental consequences. The project proponent has been conducting the blasting very near to the habitations resulting in ground vibrations in the nearby villages and towns.
Besides, blasting has been causing damage to the houses in the form of cracks. Local people who included farmers and labour were getting lung diseases due to air pollution and were dying due to respiratory diseases. Open cast mines were not filled and waste mud was dumped near the villages, and borewells were drying up due to depletion of ground water, he pointed out and urged the tribunal to pass orders for cancellation or revocation of the environmental clearance accorded to the miners.
After hearing the case, the tribunal issued notices to the chief executive officer of SCCL, Telangana state chief secretary, secretary to ministry of environment, forest and climate change, member secretaries of Central and state pollution control boards to respond to the petition and posted the matter to next month.