The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on March 20 directed 15 States to submit their respective action plans pertaining to the utilisation of fly ash generated from thermal power plants within a month. The green panel also warned the States of imposition of fine in case of non-compliance.

In the order which was meant for States including Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, Goa, Jharkhand, Manipur, Nagaland, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Daman and Diu, the Bench headed by judicial member Raghuvendra S. Rathore said, “In view of the matter, we deem it proper to direct the Chief Secretaries of the following States to ensure that the action plan in respect of the fly ash, be submitted before the Ministry on the next date of hearing.”

“In case the action plan is not submitted within the stipulated time, the State shall be liable to pay an amount of compensation,” the Bench added.

The directive came after the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change informed the Tribunal that despite previous orders, the 15 States had not submitted their action plans.

The green panel had on January 3 directed all the States to submit an action plan regarding the fly ash that is generated from the thermal power plants. “Every State and UT is under obligation to implement the said notifications and utilise and dispose off the ash produced and generated by the power plant in an environment-friendly manner,” the Bench had said.