CPCB takes action against KTPS but doesn’t reveal what

Times of India: Nagpur: Tuesday, January 09, 2018.

Months have passed but it is not clear what concrete action has been taken by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) against Koradi Thermal Power Station (KTPS).

A recent reply to a Right to Information (RTI) query states that "directions were issued" by the board, but fails to reveal what the directions were. It also says some directions were not complied with, again without disclosing these directions.

Based on a news report published by TOI in April last year, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated three power units of KTPS to the nation, RTI activist Ankita Shah had filed a complaint with the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), drawing attention towards the air pollution caused due to the plant.

Following PMO directives, a four-member CPCB team from Vadodara inspected the plant, and monitored its air quality in June last year. The visit report, which Shah had obtained through an earlier RTI, supported TOI's contention that installation of a flue-gas desulphuriser (FGD) unit was mandatory at KTPS.

Shah then filed another query last month, seeking a copy of the action taken report and present status of the matter. The reply, which Shah received on Monday, states that based on the inspection report submitted by CPCB regional directorate, Vadodara, directions were issued to KTPS under section 5 of Environment Protection Act, 1986.

Though this section includes multiple directions (see box), it is not clear which one was issued to the plant. "The board did not attach a copy of the action taken report, nor the letter through which it issued directions. Such kind of opacity is against the RTI Act," said Shah.

The board's reply further states that KTPS, through Mahagenco, had submitted a reply to the board's directions. "In view of partial compliance of the directions, KTPS has been asked to comply fully," the reply added. However, even this does not mention which directions have not been complied with.

Stating that the board has defeated the provision of RTI Act, Shah said that she will now file a first appeal. "I will also lodge a complaint with Central Information Commission. This is not just mental but also financial harassment of RTI activists," she added.

As reported by TOI earlier, Mahagenco's data had revealed that sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions from the plant were over five times the limit permitted by the ministry of environments and climate change (MoEFCC). However, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board's (MPCB) data showed them to be negligible.

Though Mahagenco had assured to install a flue gas desulphuriser (FGD), an equipment to reduce SO2 in KTPS, in its consent of MPCB, it still has not installed it.