Hindustan Times ·
NGT seeks replies over alleged fly ash dumping in Betwa near Parichha Thermal Power Plant
A principal bench of the NGT in New Delhi, comprising chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Afroz Ahmad, heard Original Application No. 528/2026 filed by environmental activist Narendra Kushwaha on September 10.
Allegations of fly ash accumulating in the Betwa river from the Parichha Thermal Power Plant have reached the National Green Tribunal, which has sought responses from the authorities over claims of pollution and obstruction of the river’s natural flow. The petitioners claimed that three large ash deposits, each measuring around 180 feet by 230 feet and rising nearly four feet above the water level, have formed in the river.
The application alleged that large quantities of fly ash had entered the Betwa over a prolonged period, resulting in deposits on the riverbed and allegedly altering its natural flow. It also raised concerns over possible contamination by heavy metals reportedly present in fly ash, including arsenic, lead, cadmium, chromium and mercury.