SHILLONG, Sep 28: The coke plants operating in East Jaintia Hills after obtaining the Consent to Operate (CTO) from the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) have been found to engage children as labourers.
The matter came to light during a surprise inspection of the coke plants conducted by the district administration under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner Ethelbert Kharmalki on Monday night.
The inspection also unearthed blatant violation of pollution control norms as claimed by the locals who had complained that the coke units were burning coal without using the filter chimney.
According to a source, the district officials found that the coke plants which had obtained CTO were not complying with the 24 term and conditions laid down by the MSPCB. The inspection revealed open burning of coke which is in clear violation of the prescribed conditions.
“We had also witnessed several children inside the coke plants employed as labourers. We will initiate action against the coke owners as per provisions of the law for employing children which is illegal,” a district official told The Shillong Times on Tuesday.
Most of the coke plants have employed labourers from outside the state most of whom had brought their family along and were sheltered inside the coke factories.
Following the inspection, the DC on Tuesday issued a notification that all coke plants in East Jaintia Hills that had been granted Consent To Establish (CTE) should not continue with production of coke without obtaining the CTO.
“The coke plants are strictly to limit their activity to heating of oven only and shall not start production,” Kharmalki said in the notification.
Meanwhile, Governor, Satya Pal Malik has constituted an expert technical committee to undertake a comprehensive study on all aspects of coke plants in the state relating to the environment, public health and related issues and to suggest specific recommendations.
The committee comprises of MSPCB chief BK Lyngwa as the chairman and former member secretary of MSPCB, N. Nengnong as member secretary. Other members of the committee include State Expert Appraisal Committee chief Naba Bhattacharjee, former HoD, Department of Environment Sciences, NEHU, Prof. (Dr.) BK Tewari and Under Secretary, Forest and Environment Department, Dr. TSR Marak.
The committee will undertake a comprehensive environment & public health related study on the coke plants and impact of such units on the general environment in the vicinity of the location of all such units.
The committee has been authorised to study all relevant documents required by the Single Window Agency for approval and suggest additional measures, if any, for streamlining the single window clearance including quality and source of raw materials for the plant.
The committee shall also undertake study of the ‘cluster’ situation arising out of the location of coke plants and suggest measures to combat and neutralise/minimise the impact on the environment on account of functioning within a cluster other than stand alone units.
The committee will formulate an inclusive environment safeguard measures for compliance by the coke units from the stage of establishment, operation and in course of functioning to neutralise/minimise impact on the environment conforming to the Air Act and Water Act and any other environment regulatory acts/rules under EP Act, 2006, EIA Notification, 2006 etc., which the committee may deem applicable considering the ground situation on case to case basis.
The committee will also undertake a technical appraisal of the Siting Norms notified by MSPCB in respect to setting up of coke plants in the state. The committee may suggest additional measures, if any, for seamless implementation of the norms in the interest of environment protection under Water and Air Act.
The committee will suggest additional environment safeguard infrastructure/equipment other than those normally installed in coke plants with a view to ensure optimal level of protection to the environment particularly from stand point of fugitive emissions leading to pollution of ambient air quality and contamination of both ground & surface water sources/bodies present in the vicinity of coke plants, affecting public health.
The committee is authorised to commission a pollution load study through experienced National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians accredited environment consultants to ascertain pollution load of coke plants to commensurate with their actual production capacity.
