The Chhattisgarh High Court has recently disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the permission granted by the Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board (CECB) to one Power Generation (Chhattisgarh) Ltd for dumping fly ash on land in Village Kachanda, District Sakti.
The petitioner alleged the permission was granted without obtaining the necessary sanctions from the local authority and would cause harm to the environment and the livelihood of the villagers.
However, upon investigation, the CECB found that the permission was granted after obtaining the necessary NOC from the Gram Panchayat and the Sub-Divisional Officer (Revenue).
The report also stated that the subject land was not being used for grazing or agricultural purposes, but rather for cremation and organizing fairs.
The villagers had also given their consent for dumping fly ash on the land, which would be covered with a layer of soil to prevent environmental pollution.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal disposed of the PIL after considering the affidavit filed by the Chhattisgarh Chief Secretary and the CECB report.
The court held that the petitioner’s allegations were unfounded and that the CECB had followed the necessary procedures before granting the permission.
The court forfeited the security amount deposited by the petitioner, considering the overall picture projected by the petitioner, which showed a different story.