Hyderabad: The Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) has imposed environmental compensation of Rs 5.5 crores on stone-crushing units in the GO 111 area.
Government Order (GO) 111 prohibits development or construction works in the catchment area of the Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar lakes up to a radius of 10 km.
A petition was filed by P V Subramanya Varma of Hyderabad in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) South Bench at Chennai against illegal and unauthorised stone crusher units operating in GO 111 area following which the penalty was imposed.
The crushers were located in Vattinagulapally, Kokapet, Gouldoddi, Gopanpally, Kollur, Kotwalguda, and Osmannagar villages in Rangareddy and Sangareddy districts.
The NGT directed the TSPCB to file a report on the status of the action taken after the hearing held on October 14.
An inspection was carried out by the Board officials in the stone crushing units present in a 10km radius of Himayatsagar and Osmansagar lakes in October and November.
Pollution Control Board (PCB) issued notices to the violating units in compliance with the NGT orders for operating the units without the consent of the Board, continuing operations even after the issuance of closure orders by the Board, and for damage to the environment.
The TSPCB, zonal offices, Hyderabad and RC Puram conducted the hearing before the Task Force Committee of the zonal office and recommended levying environmental compensation.
Later, compensation ranging from Rs 8.45 lakh to Rs 91 lakh was imposed on each stone crusher unit.
Units imposed with the fine include Great India Mining of Serilingampally, Sri Laxmi Narasimha Metal Industries and Sri Laxmi Constructions, Hyderabad Rock Sand, Adeshwar Traders, Teja Reddy Crushers, CS Infra Pvt. Ltd, (Crusher), Unnamed Stone Crusher of Vattinagulapally, Shama Metal Supply of Gandipet, DBR Metal Industry, SMI Stone Crusher (Shama Metal Industry) of Kothwalguda, Sri Sai Balaji Rock Sand Industry.
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