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Report finds Vallur thermal plant guilty of many violations
Ennore’s fisherfolk, who have been protesting the fly-ash pollution due to violations by thermal plants in the area, have been vindicated after a monitoring report by Union Environment Ministry revealed that the NTECL Vallur Thermal Power Plant has been operating without a valid licence from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB).
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The report also stressed that new ash pond under construction inside the Ennore Creek is also illegal. “The facts about the unlicensed construction have been repeatedly brought to the notice of TNPCB, district administration, the State Disaster Management Authority and the State Coastal Zone Management Authority.
However, none has taken any action to prevent the ongoing destruction of the wetlands,” said Pooja Kumar, researcher, Coastal Resource Centre. The report is in response to complaints by Ennore fisherfolk that NTECL was building a new fly-ash pond inside a biologically productive, and mangrove-rich wetlands of the Ennore Creek.
RL Srinivasan, a fisher-leader from Kaatukuppam, said, “We have been fighting against this for years but no official has taken action. Despite countless protests, not a single TNPCB official has come for an inspection.
Does it take a disaster for the TNPCB officials to do their job? The power plant doesn’t have a consent to operate and none of the monitoring officials are taking action.
The fly ash dumping and construction of a new disposal pit in the heart of the Ennore Creek will make the entire locality vulnerable to flooding during monsoons. It’s high time that the government acts for the benefit of public.”
Several other violations of the environmental clearance (EC) were noted, including that the existing ash pond was unlined, which is against the EC stipulations. According to experts, fly-ash contains toxic heavy metals like lead, cadmium, selenium and chromium, which can leak into the groundwater from unlined ash dumps.
The plant had also violated the 100 per cent fly-ash utilisation, where the company must sell or give away the fly-ash to brick-making units or cement plants.
The fisherfolk have been repeatedly agitating against the environmental violations and steady degradation of the natural resources in Ennore.
“Kamarajar Port, too, is currently engaged in obliterating more than 500 acres of mangroves and saltpans in Ennore Creek. This too is illegal and happening with the tacit approval of local regulators, notably TNPCB and the Thiruvallur district administration,” added Pooja.
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