SHILLONG, July 18: The Environment Coordination Committee (ECC) of Elaka Sutnga has asked the Superintendent of Police of East Jaintia Hills to act against illegal coke plants in the district in compliance with the directive of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Eastern Zone bench.
In a letter to the police chief of East Jaintia Hills, the general secretary of the Committee, Pynbait Sutnga, who had filed a petition in regard to the matter with the NGT, has said that the continued operation of coke plants to this day in Elaka Sutnga is a clear violation of the residents’ human rights.
Sutnga demanded that the operations and logistics of all coke plants located under Elaka Sutnga be shut down with immediate effect.
“We will be compelled to seek legal help and notify the NGT if the district administration and the state government failed to implement the judgment of the NGT,” the committee’s general secretary said, while adding that the ECC will take to the streets if the NGT’s directive is not implemented immediately.
Moreover, ECC’s legal adviser Readington War asserted that all coke set-ups in Elaka Sutnga are illegal as the norms could not be met by the 14 units which obtained the consent to operate (CTO).
“As per the NGT judgment, there is no question of legal coke plants as the notification dated 23.12.2020 for norms for coke plants have the retrospective effect,” he said.
Questions have also been raised against the government’s inaction with regard to the implementation of the NGT’s directive.
“The question is why the government and the concerned departments (Forest and Environment) are not doing anything. Even the deputy commissioner can take action with powers vested to a district magistrate as there is open illegal activity under the nose of the district administration,” ECC’s legal adviser Readington War said.
War opined that if there is nuisance, the DC can exercise his powers to protect the lives of citizens.
If the DC and Additional Deputy Commissioner cannot exercise their powers for the safety of citizens, they may be removed from their posts to make way for able officials to take charge, the ECC legal adviser suggested as he recalled the effective tenure of former Deputy Commissioner of East Jaintia Hills Ethelbert Kharmalki.
