The NGT had ordered the TNPCB on August 10, 2023 to inspect the area, collect water and earth samples and determine the quality of the water bodies near the NLCIL. | Photo credit: Kumar SS
A study by the Tamil Nadu (TNPCB) pollution control board on the instructions of the National Green Court (NGT), South Zone, has high levels of mercury in the water bodies located near Mines I, 1 A and II and thermal).
The TNPCB study, with water samples collected on December 17, 2024, was carried out after the NGT intervention. The report was presented to the Court on Wednesday.
The NGT had Suo motu Task The case after the publication of the ‘pollution’ report by the NGO Poovulagin Nanbargal in association with Mandan Athayayan Kendra, in the Caaaas of Environmental Degradation and Health in Neyveli and the location in the power of power of power of power power power Power power Power power Power power of power of power Cuddalore District.
The NGT had ordered the TNPCB on August 10, 2023 to inspect the area, collect water and earth samples and determine the quality of the water bodies near the NLCIL.
ACCORDANCE TO THE 14-Page Report, 32 samples of Surface Water, Ground Water and Soil Had Leged from From A Wide Area, Including The Paravanar River, Walajah Lake, Iyyan Lake, Buckingham Channel Near the Thermal Power Plant, Mine I-Nargur, Vadletel, Vadleagi, Vadletel, Vadletel, Vadletel, Vadletel, Vadletel, Vadletel, Vadletel, Vadletel, Vadletel, Vadletel, Vadletel, Vadletel, Vadletel, Vadletel, Vadletel, Vadletel, Vadletel Fedlet, Dadlet, Dadlet, Dadlet, Dappletvelpuran, Fedlet, Dakuvelyi, Vadletel, Veenaguar, Village, NLCIL supplied water in the U. mangoram tank, block Powerhouse of block-22 (Jawahar College), Pudhukuppam and Karikuppam Village.
Or these, it was found that the total mercury concentration was above the allowed limits of drinking water standards in the range of 0.0012 mg/l at 0.115 mg/l in 15 of 17 samples of surface water. In the Buckingham channel, one of the sites where water samples were collected, it was found that the mercury concentration was 115 times more than the allowed limit.
The water sampling tasks of the channel showed a total concentration of mercury or 0.115 mg/l at the allowed limits. Although the results show high levels of mercury, the TNPCB in its report says that according to the surface water standard is 229 Class E (not suitable for drinking), there is no limit to mercury.
According to Pabhakaran Verararasu, an environmental engineer from Poovulagin Nanbargal, “class E evaluation is incorrect since residents use water for drinking and agricultural purpose. The evaluation that is not limit for meral, must be compared with water standards to drink.”
Similarly, in groundwater samples, it was found that the presence of Mercury was in the range of 0.0025 mg/l to 0.0626 mg/l, an increase of 2.5 to 62 times the permitted limits. Of the nine tasks of groundwater samples, mercury concentration was found in six samples, according to the report.
In the groundwater sample collected in the village of Vanadhirayapuram, it was found that the mercury concentration was 0.0626, which is 62 times higher than the allowed limit. However, continuous people to drink this contaminated water.
According to Mr. Pabhakaran: “When the presence of mercury and other heavy metals is not naturally found in water sources, how could such high levels of contamination be possible in the bodies of water of the thesis and fish in the water sources also the risk of pollution.
In addition, he said: “The people of these villages have been used for their alcohol consumption needs, the water of the thesis water bodies that have been contaminated with heavy metals and other pollutants for a long time. We recommend that the state and internship of the State and Arthy are in space and artists and artimios and artifices and artimensions and arthensives immediately to prevent greater contamination in the affected villages.”
According to Sripath Dharmadhikari, one of the authors of the report entitled ‘Pollution Power’, “The collection of soil and water samples and tests indicate that the villages in the Neyveli area around the group of NLC and mines thermal plants are reduced under severe pollution and their impacts due to the operations of the mines and NLC TPS.
He added: “The NLCIL should make immediate measures to avoid all pollution and ensure that the discharges of effluents that leave the mines must follow the effluent discharge standards. The TNPCB and the Ministry of Environment, forests and climate change (MOEFCC) must establish a mechanism to efficiently monitor this.”
According to T. Armeselvam, community coordinator or community monitors of the Sipcot area (alem), an environmental guard dog based in Cuddalore, “the TNPCB shoulder
Published – April 17, 2025 09:28 PM IST