NGT appoints expert panel to study pollution in Ennore

The heavily polluted Ennore creek, where fly ash has been dumped by TANGEDCO in more than 300 acres of the water body, has been under the scanner over the last few days. On August 3, advocate commissioner Lakshmi Narasimhan submitted a report, cataloguing the dire straits in which the Ennore creek is in, due to large-scale fly-ash pollution by TANGEDCO units. 

The report also highlighted the damage caused to the mangroves in the eco-sensitive area around the Kosasthalaiyar River. The bench comprising Justice P Jyothimani and expert member PS Rao appointed the expert committee, to lead an independent investigation into the issue. 

The team includes Dr Sultan Ahmed Ismail, Soil Biochemist and Director, Eco science Research Foundation, Dr D Narasimhan, Biologist and Professor Balaji Narasimhan, Water Resources Engineering, IIT-Madras and will be assisted by K Elangovan, Executive Engineer, Public Works Department (PWD) and Sampath Kumar, retired TANGEDCO director. 

The bench had earlier pulled up TANGEDCO for dumping fly ash on the creek and directed the organisation to clean it up. However, on Friday, the bench termed the clean-up efforts taken up by TANGEDCO as ‘not satisfactory.’ 

The advocate commissioner’s report had also pointed out that the deposition of the fly ash is up to a height of half feet to five feet. In order to check the distribution of unaccountable fly ash and the status of the Kosasthalaiyar River, the expert committee has been formed. 

The team is tasked to ascertain the capacity and present status of ash ponds maintained by the units of TANGEDCO as well as study the damage caused to biodiversity. 

The impact of fly ash on soil microorganisms, flora and fauna, impact on socio-economic status of river users, changes in land-use over the years will be studied by the team, who will also suggest remediation measures. The bench has asked the committee to submit the report by September 15 while the next hearing has been posted to September 18.