SUBHASH KUMAR Vs. STATE OF BIHAR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) We heard the arguments in detail on 13-12-1990 and dismissed the petition with costs amounting to Rs. 5,000/- with the direction that the reasons shall be delivered later on. We are, accordingly, delivering our reasons.

(2.) This petition is under Art. 32 of the Constitution by Subhash Kumar for the issue of a writ or direction directing the Director of Collieries, West Bokaro Collieries at Ghatotand, District Hazaribagh in the State of Bihar and the Tata Iron and Steel Co. Ltd. to stop forthwith discharge of slurry/sludge from its washeries at Ghatotand in the District of Hazaribagh into Bokaro river. This petition is by way of public interest litigation for preventing the pollution of the Bokaro river water from the sludge/ slurry discharged from the washeries of the Tata Iron and Steel Co. Ltd. The petitioner has alleged that the Parliament has enacted the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1978 (hereinafter referred to as the Act') providing for the prevention and control of water pollution and the maintaining or restoring of wholesomeness of water, for the establishment of Board for the prevention and control of water pollution. Under the provisions of the Act the State Pollution Control Board constituted to carry out functions prescribed under S. 17 of the Act which among other things provide that the Board shall inspect sewage or trade effluents and plants for the treatment of sewage and trade effluents and to review plans, specifications or other data set up for the treatment of water and to lay down standards to be complied with by the persons while causing discharge of sewage or sullage. Section 24 of the Act provides that no person shall knowingly cause or permit any poisonous, noxious or polluting matter to enter into any stream or well which may lead to a substantial aggravation of pollution. The petitioner has asserted that Tata Iron and Steel Co., respondent No. 5 carries on mining operation in coal mines/ washeries in the town of Jamshedpur. These Coal Mines and Collieries are known as West Bokaro Collieries and the Collieries has two Coal Washeries where the coal after its extraction from the mines is brought and broken into graded pieces and thereafter it is processed for the purpose of reducing its ash contents. A chemical process is carried out. which is known as 'froth floatation process'. Under this process the graded coal is mixed with diesel oil, pine oil and many other chemical ingredients and thereafter it is washed with the lacs of gallons of water. The end water is washed coal with reduced quantity of ash content fit for high graded metallurgical process for the purposes of manufacture of steel. In the process of washing large quantity of water is discharged through pipes which carry the discharged water to storage ponds constructed for the purpose of retaining the slurry. Along with the discharged water, small particles of coal are carried away to the pond where the coal particles settle down on the surface of the pond, and the same is collected after the pond is de-watered. The coal particles which are carried away by the water is called the slurry which is ash free, it contains fine quality of coal which is used as fuel.

(3.) The petitioner has alleged that the surplus waste in the form of sludge/ slurry is discharged as an effluent from the washeries into the Bokaro river which gets deposited in she bed of the river and it also gets settled on land including the petitioner's land bearing Plot No. 170. He has further alleged that the sludge or slurry which gets deposited on the agricultural land is absorbed by the land leaving on the top a fine carboniferous product or film on the soil, which adversely affects the fertility of the land. The petitioner has further alleged that the effluent in the shape of slurry is flown into the Bokaro river which is carried out by the river water to the distant places polluting the river water as a result of which the river water is not fit for drinking purposes nor it is fit for irrigation purposes. The continuous discharge of slurry in heavy quantity by the Tata Iron and Steel Co. from its washeries posing risks to the health of people living in the surrounding areas and as a result of such discharge the problem of pure drinking water has become acute. The petitioner has asserted that in spite of several representations, the State of Bihar and State Pollution Control Board have failed to take any action against the Company instead they have permitted the pollution of the river water. He has further averted that the State of Bihar instead of taking any action against the Company has been granting leases on payment of royalty to various persons for the collection of slurry. He has, accordingly, claimed relief for issue of direction directing the respondents which include the State of Bihar, the Bihar Pollution Control Board, Union of India and Tata Iron and Steel Co., to take immediate steps prohibiting the polution of the Bokaro river water from the discharge of slurry into the Bokaro river and to take further action under provisions of the Act against the Tata Iron and Steel Co.