The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal has directed the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to establish siting criteria for locating stone crushing units, whether individual or in clusters, prior to granting consent.
In its judgment on a petition challenging a TNPCB decision that removed the minimum distance requirement between crushing units, the Bench, comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati, directed the TNPCB to conduct a study to determine the maximum number of stone crushing units or production capacities that can be supported within a cluster.
The Bench directed to enforce several conditions for the operation of stone crushing units. These include the construction of concrete roads both within the unit/cluster premises and on approach roads. The TNPCB is also required to mandate the installation of dry dust collection systems, such as cyclones and dust hoppers, in addition to sprinkler systems.
Additionally, the TNPCB must ensure the development of green cover or wind-breaking walls as a prerequisite for granting Consent to Operate. The species to be planted should be specified by the TNPCB.
Emphasising the critical role of green cover in mitigating dust pollution, the Bench said annual inspections must be conducted for the first five years after consent is granted, and penalties or suspension of consent may be imposed if green cover requirements are not met.
The Bench also ordered the TNPCB to put in place health protections for workers and nearby residents. Project proponents must organise health camps every six months for workers and annually for local inhabitants to safeguard their well-being.
New guidelines must be developed within three months, it stated.
