Government of Maharashtra has announced a compensation of Rs 5 crore for the farmers who lost their agricultural land due to fly ash dumping in Nandgaon village. Maharashtra Environment Minister Aditya Thackeray, on Friday, chaired a review meeting with MahaGenco, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), District Collector, Centre For Sustainable Development (CFSD) and Asar in which he took various decisions on Nandgaon village. The minister directed that the compensation be rolled out over the course of the next two months by MahaGenco with due clearances from the State Finance Department. MahaGenco claimed that 90% of fly ash had been removed from Nandgaon ash pond. However, CFSD claimed that only 70% ash had been removed from the pond.

 

Meanwhile, Thackeray gave a deadline till July 15 to MahaGenco to remove the remaining fly ash from Nandgaon and ensure the 14 km pipeline, which carries the ash slurry from Khaperkheda Thermal Power Station to the pond, is removed within the deadline.

 

The State Government has also decided to establish a solar park at the fly ash dumping area after removal of entire ash. Government is planning to have 170 MW solar power plant on 258 hectares area. While reviewing employment opportunities for the affected villagers, MahaGenco informed that they provided jobs to 27 people as security personnel, 14 in other maintenance related works and working to provide more jobs in cement and brick manufacturing sector using the collected fly ash. It also proposed construction and maintenance related jobs for locals at solar park. CFSD, in the meeting, demanded to establish a mobile training centre for skill development at Nandgaon for villagers. It also urged to give skill training to women self help groups of the Nandgaon area.