NGT directs states to submit action plan on use of fly ash

The National Green Tribunal on Tuesday directed all the states and the union territories to submit to the environment ministry their action plan for utilisation of fly ash generated by thermal power plants.

Hearing separate petitions  filed by Shantanu Sharma, Anupam Raghav, Sandplast(India) and others seeking utilisation of fly ash, the bench comprising acting chairperson, Justice U D Salvi, and Expert Member Nagin Nanda directed the states to submit their plan to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) in four weeks.

Every state and union territory was under obligation to implement the notifications issued by the ministry from time to time and dispose of the ash produced by power plants in an environment-friendly manner, the bench observed.

The green panel also asked the ministry to submit a report to it based on the reports from the states and posted the matter for next hearing on February 16.

The ministry's notifications on use of fly ash mentioned   "construction activity such as road laying and embankments or as land fill to reclaim low lying areas, including backfilling in abandoned mines or pitheads or for any such other use as permitted under the provisions.