Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday informed that fly ash dumping, caused due to State Power Generation Company's (Mahagenco), at Nandgaon village has been stopped from February 4 onwards.
Taking to Twitter, Thackeray said that after hearing multiple complaints from Nagpur residents on fly ash dumping at Nandgaon village, he had held a meeting with the stakeholders, locals and NGOs to understand the impact of pollution on the ground and had requested the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to intervene and immediately rectify the issue.
"On Feb 1, MPCB issued a direction notice on the same. I am happy to state that fly ash dumping at Nandgaon was stopped on Feb 4. Now, Maharashtra Environment and Climate Change Ministry and the Energy Ministry are jointly developing a pollution mitigation plan for thermal power stations across Maharashtra," he said.
Sharing a letter of Mahagenco that read: "the total disposal of ash slurry of 500 MW at Nandgaon Ash Bund has been stopped and Waregaon Ash Bund is made operative for 500 MW," the Minister said that environmental protection and economic growth must go hand in hand.
"We are keen on sustainable development and more so, keen on renewable clean energy in the future. One cannot come at the cost of the other. I am thankful to citizens and NGOs who brought this to my notice," he added.
Thackeray extended thanks to the officials from MPCB, Maharashtra Environment and Climate Change Ministry and Mahagenco "who took cognisance of the issue and are working together to resolve this and on mitigation measures for such other plants across the state."
Notably, a recent study had found that Mahagenco Khaparkheda and Koradi thermal power plants are causing life threats and damaging the livelihood of people residing in nearby areas.
The study that was carried out jointly by Nagpur's Centre for Sustainable Development (CFSD), Pune's Manthan Adhyayan Kendra, and ASAR Social Impact Advisors Private Limited found that due to these plants, surface and groundwater are contaminated with toxic metals like mercury, arsenic, aluminium, and lithium.
It had recorded widespread contamination of air, water, and soil due to unscientific disposal and handling of fly ash.
The survey had also revealed that out of 21, 18 villages are being affected due to fly ash depositing in various parts of the village, leading to extensive air pollution.
( With inputs from ANI )
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