Times of India: Nagpur: Thursday, March 03, 2016.
Clear
evidence has emerged that Mahagenco and WCL are taking toll on the residents of
Khaparkheda, Koradi and nearby areas. In 2015, the number of people who
contracted skin and respiratory ailments in Katol area was less than a fourth
of that in Khaparkheda. While Khaparkheda is surrounded by power plants and
coal mines, Katol is mostly an agricultural area and hence not much polluted.
Social
activist Anil Wadpalliwar obtained data under Right to Information (RTI) Act
from rural hospitals of Katol and Khaparkheda, pertaining to 2015. The data
shows that in Khaparkheda area 6,531 people fell prey to respiratory ailments
like asthma, tuberculosis and upper respiratory tract infection (URI) and skin
ailments. The corresponding number in Katol area was only 1,459. If URI numbers
are compared, the difference is starker. Katol has 865 patients against 5,893
in Khaparkheda.
Wadpalliwar
said the actual difference was far higher as these numbers only indicated
people who came to government hospitals for treatment. "Most middle class
people don't go to government hospitals. I have talked to people living in
Khaparkheda and Koradi. If the number of patients who got treated in private
hospitals is taken into account, the numbers will zoom up," he added.
The activist
said that high ash content coal supplied by WCL to Mahagenco was the major
reason for respiratory ailments in Khaparkheda area. The other major reason was
complete apathy of Mahagenco and WCL towards air pollution. "In spite of
directives of National Green Tribunal (NGT), WCL continues to supply high ash
coal to Mahagenco. As per norms, the ash content should not be more than 34%.
However, the coal used by Mahagenco mostly has ash content above 40%," he
said.
Admitting
this, a Mahagenco official said the electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) of
Mahagenco were designed to handle coal having 34% ash content. "Due to
higher ash content, the ESPs become overloaded and do not function properly.
The ESPs of our new units are designed to handle coal having 46% ash," he
added.
Slamming
Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), Wadpalliwar said the agency was
neither taking any action against WCL nor against Mahagenco for polluting the
air. "I met the officials three to four times but everytime they said
power plants could not be closed down. They don't even have a laboratory to
test ash content in coal. I have decided to lodge police complaints against
WCL, Mahagenco and MPCB for endangering the lives of residents of Khaparkheda,
Koradi and nearby areas," he added.
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