NGT orders Rs 4.65-lakh compensation for farmers affected by charcoal units
TIRUPUR: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered Rs 4.65-lakh compensation for the farmers affected by the Charcoal Units in Kangeyam Taluk. It has also fined Kangeyam Municipality Rs 1.41 crore for illegal dumping of solid waste. According to the NGT order, the tribunal has formed a High-Level Committee to inspect the charcoal units in Kangeyam Taluk.
As the committee found severe damage to water resources and farmlands, the court directed five charcoal units to pay a compensation of Rs 4.65 lakh compensation to the farmers in the village. Besides, the court ordered the units to pay Rs 12 lakhs towards the construction of two tanks (for causing damage to underground water sources) mentioned in the report and Rs 3.5-lakh for expenses incurred for conducting study of environmental damage and other methodology to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board within a period of three months. Similarly, a compensation of `1.41 crore to be recovered from Kangeyam Municipality for illegal dumping of solid waste (another reason for the contamination and high-level TDS, etc).
The tribunal also ordered the Pollution Control Board to take appropriate action against Kangeyam Municipality for their non-implementation of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. According to various reports, the charcoal units in the various parts of Kangeyam Taluk in 2011 were opposed by villagers.
The panchayats had passed resolutions opposing the units as there was water scarcity in the region. But the charcoal units continued their operations. As a result, water was contaminated in several wells near the industrial units, sources said. A case was filed in this regard at NGT in 2013. An expert committee was conducted several inspections and submitted their report. The report clearly specified that the contamination of water was caused by the charcoal units.