CUTTACK: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday constituted a three-member committee to examine alleged pollution caused by Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) during the course of its operation at Talcher coalfields and submit a report within four weeks.
NGT’s East Zone bench in Kolkata formed the committee to examine allegations levelled in a petition by Sridhar Samal, a resident of the area. Samal alleged villages like Balhar, Lingaraj, Nandira, Cover belt area near Balanda, Thermal area, Tentulei village, Bada Danda Sahi, Baghmara and Diajharan are affected due to MCL’s coal mining activities nearby. Tentulei, Bada Danda Sahi, Baghmara and Diajharan villages are the worst affected due to leakage of fly ash and coal dust.
In addition to coal dust, fly ash has also damaged vast tracts of farmland and water bodies passing through Talcher town, the petition alleged. Advocate Afraaz Suhail appeared on behalf of the petitioner virtually.
The bench of B Amit Sthalekar (judicial member) and Arun Kumar Verma (expert member) said, “Considering the allegations made, we deem it appropriate to constitute a committee to visit the site in question and submit its report.”
Senior scientists of Odisha State Pollution Control Board and Central Pollution Control Board and the collector and district magistrate of Angul or his representative not below the rank of additional district magistrate have been included in the committee. While directing for listing of the matter on April 10, the bench said, “The district magistrate, Angul, shall be the nodal officer for all logistic purposes and for filing the report of the committee on affidavit.”
The bench also issued notices to OSPCB, CPCB, Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change and MCL to file their respective counter affidavits within four weeks. As per the petition, Talcher Coalfields under MCL has reserves of 38.65 billion tonne in states like Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
Around 5,000-10,000 coal-laden trucks ply from the mines on a daily basis to different places of the country. The trucks mostly ply within Talcher town before reaching NH-149. The petition alleged the trucks do not take any preventive or precautionary measures to ensure coal dust does not leak outside and pollute the town. Dust pollution is so high that visibility becomes very difficult most of the times and in most of the households and other structures there is a black layer of coal dust everywhere, the petition further alleged.
As per National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), an air quality management cell was formed in the Talcher municipality in July, 2021 to reduce and check pollution in the town. But the team is not functioning properly, the petition alleged.