RAIPUR: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to Jindal Steel & Power Ltd (JSPL) for allegedly discharging untreated solid waste and fly ash on a farmer’s cropland in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district.
The tribunal issued a notice to JSPL and a directive to the Raigarh district administration, and has fixed July 5 for the next hearing.
The applicants; Haldar Patel and Deepak Kumar, have been struggling for this since 2012. “We had earlier lodged complaints with the Raigarh collector on five different occasions but didn’t get the expected relief. The untreated solid waste and industrial used water were disposed-off on my farmland - our only source of livelihood. My son finally filed the case with the NGT”, Dolnarayan, the applicants’ father the New Indian Express.
“Our land is totally degraded and has turned barren. We only want that they return our area with the same productivity potential regained and further avoid all dumping of waste there", Dolnarayan said.
The JSPL officials avoided to comment on the Tribunal’s notice.
Justice Dalip Singh, judicial member, Central Bench NGT, Bhopal and Dr Satyawan Singh Garbyal, expert member, observed that based on the report, ash was found to be dumped following a complaint of untreated solid waste discharge by JSPL, contrary to the condition of the environmental clearance which is adversely affecting the land and crops of the applicants.
The NGT also directed the district administration to depute officials to inspect the applicant’s land and submit the report. The instruction was also given to ascertain the observance by the company on environmental conditions.
The respondents are directed to submit their reply along with the note of inspection to the Tribunal by July 5.