Chandigarh: The National Green Tribunal has slapped an environmental compensation of Rs 6.90 crore on Panipat Thermal Power Station for failing to remove thermal ash despite orders.
Justice Sudhir Aggarwal, in his orders, also set a target for the thermal station on tree plantation. He also issued other instructions while disposing of the 2022-plea filed by Shubhender of Sutana village in Panipat against the management’s failure to clear legacy ash and other pollutants from dykes as per the schedule.
The NGT since Jan has been monitoring the progress of action taken by the thermal station. In their action taken reports, the agencies had observed that not much had been done in reference to the action plan submitted by the power station. The management of the station had argued that local issues like barring vehicles carrying loads of ash from plying on main roads during daytime, owing to restrictions by the road safety council and local authorities, had prevented it from disposing of the ash.
During the hearings, the counsel for the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) submitted that the ambient air quality and agricultural soil in Sutana examined by a joint committee had been found to be adversely affected due to presence of metals. The board said both air and soil had been polluted due to non-handling of ash effectively. “It (thermal station) is liable to pay environmental compensation by application of principle of ‘polluter pays’ not only for past violations but for future till the entire ash stored in dykes is cleared/disposed of scientifically,” said the HSPCB.