NGT makes polluter power plant pay

CHENNAI: Invoking the ‘polluter pays principle’ on TANGEDCO-run North Chennai Thermal Power Station (NCTPS) for illegally dumping tonnes of fly ash in the ecologically-sensitive areas contributing to large-scale pollution of Ennore Creek, Kosasthalai river and Buckingham Canal, the National Green Tribunal here on Thursday directed the power agency and the thermal station to supply potable water to the affected villages.

The tribunal passed an interim order based on a three-member expert committee report, which established that the critical habitat was facing extinction and dangerous levels of heavy metals were found in water, plants, soil and fish putting thousands of lives at risk.

For instance, mercury levels were as high as 29.1 mg/L in Kosasthalaiyar water sample and 30.28 mg/L in the backwaters. Even vegetables grown in the area and borewell water samples had elevated levels of mercury.

Considering the seriousness of the issue, the single-member bench headed by Justice M S Nambiar said: “We can’t allow people to drink and eat food sourced from these polluted waters containing carcinogenic heavy metals. We direct the TANGEDCO and NCTPS to supply potable drinking water to the villages affected. Though the entire pollution in the area can’t be attributed to NCTPS alone knowing the fact that there are over 1,000 industries operating in the region, many of which are red category industries, it is a fact that fly ash from NCTPS is a known and primary pollutant and the polluter has to pay,” Nambiar said in the interim order.

Express in the recent past had carried a series of reports highlighting the pollution caused in Ennore Creek and surroundings by various industries.

The committee report said heavy metals found in the water and fish are known to cause a variety of health effects on human health. People are prone to developing reproductive, nervous, cardio-vascular, gastrointestinal, brain and kidney ailments and cancer. The worst affected villages are Seppakkam, Mouthambedu, Sivapadaikuppam, Kattukuppam, Mugatwarakuppam, Sadayankuppam, Kattupally and a few others.

The tribunal has directed TANGEDCO and NCTPS to dredge the main canal of Kosasthalai river and Buckingham Canal, which are heavily silted due to fly ash deposits. “The dredging should be done is coordination with PWD and the costs should be borne by the polluter,” the bench said and asked TANGEDCO to create an ad hoc pond to store the dredged fly ash.