Nagpur: The Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court orally warned Maharashtra State Power Generation Company (Mahagenco) officials of action under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, if they fail to take measures to curb pollution at Koradi Thermal Power Station (KTPS).
The directives came after petitioner’s counsel Tushar Mandlekar informed the court that for the past several years, KTPS has been causing pollution but Mahagenco failed to ensure that the Flue Gas Desulfurizer (FDG) system is installed.
A division bench comprising Justice Nitin Sambre and Justice Abhay Mantri asked Mahagenco to submit the progress report of installing the FDG system within a week.
The petitioners sought directives to MPCB to initiate action against Mahagenco. They contended that the proposed expansion of the Koradi thermal power plant was in contrast to the notification of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India.
The High Court questioned Mahagenco about the absence of the installation contract and demanded a comprehensive progress report on the FDG system’s implementation. The High Court posed critical questions, including the whereabouts of the agreement copy and the purchase date of the FDG machine. During the hearing, the Division Bench issued a warning of legal action under the Pollution Control Act against the parties concerned.
Highlighting pollution as a matter of public interest, the High Court stressed the need for immediate measures. Dinesh Naidu of Vidarbha Connect NGO, Scientist Dr Sharad, and retired MSEDCL Director Anil Palamwar filed a public interest litigation in the High Court, demanding a halt to new energy projects in Vidarbha. The power project in Koradi, initiated in 2010 with a condition to install an FGD machine, remains incomplete even after thirteen years.
In a previous hearing, Mahagenco had issued an order to install the FGD machine in November, last year. The High Court pressed Mahagenco for progress details, learning that a Rs 1,345 crore order for FGD machines at units 8, 9, and 10 in Koradi had been issued, with completion expected within 26 to 30 months.
