Compensation for those hit by ash-bund collapse

Nagpur: State power generation company Mahagenco has given compensation of Rs 50,000 to Rs 80,000 to families that were affected by the Khasala ash bund mishap on July 16. Due to heavy rains, the bund collapsed sending fly ash slurry into houses and farms in three villages in the area.
As per a release issued on Wednesday, MLC Chandrashekhar Bawankule held a meeting with officials of Mahagenco and demanded compensation for the damage caused due to houses caused by breach in the ash bund of Koradi Thermal Power Station.
A total of 13 villagers were compensated for their losses, the release stated. Bawankule has further assured that the panchnama for the losses faced by farmers was underway and they will get compensation soon. He has also demanded a high-level enquiry into the incident.
According to environmentalists, the long-term damage to the agriculture and human lives is more worrying. “Everything right from the groundwater, surface water to soil is contaminated with toxic fly ash. Farmers will not be able to grow crops for several years now,” they said.
They added that just compensation is not enough. “What about accountability and punishment? Important norms were violated, lives were put at risk, but no action has been taken against the concerned authorities yet,” said activists.
On Tuesday, Nagpur’s Centre for Sustainable Development (CFSD) and Pune’s Manthan Adhyayan Kendra wrote a complaint to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), highlighting that the catastrophic event which submerged large parts of five villages in toxic fly-ash slurry. Even though the deadline for replying to the prosecution notice of Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) is over, the prosecution process has not been initiated.
They also demanded urgent steps to fix accountability and filing criminal cases against the chief engineer of Mahagenco and assessment of damages including impact on agricultural lands.