Above: Bricks made from Fly ash on display (file picture)

Fly ash from thermal power stations is a major source of air pollution and ways and means are to be found to dispose of them in an eco-friendly manner. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) bench headed by Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore had, on the last date of hearing of the petition filed by Santanu Sharma, said that the states must file their action plans by Tuesday (March 20). However, the court was informed on Tuesday that 17 states have not bothered to file any reply.

The bench said it is giving the chief secretaries of those 17 states the last opportunity to file their action plans with regard to fly ash before the next date of hearing, which is set for April 23.

The appeal is for implementation of the notification with regards to fly ash as passed in 2003. The court had asked the states to submit their action plans to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and MoEF in turn would produce all the action plan filed by the respondent states before the Tribunal.

On Tuesday the counsel for the MoEF said that only a few states have submitted their action plans. Hence the bench gave the last warning.

—India Legal Bureau