District Collector Mukesh Bansal on Tuesday directed the managements of power plants in the district to keep the ‘Electrostatic Precipitator’ (ESP) of their units constantly operational in view of the higher quantum of fly ash being experienced in the region for the past few days.
Electrostatic precipitators are filtration equipment that can easily remove fine particulate matter such as dust and smoke from the air while making the environment cleaner.
Bansal also directed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) and the officials of Environment and Industry Departments to carry out surprise checks at the power plant units in the region.
He directed officials that stern action be taken against the units where ESP is found shut or not following the prescribed environment protection norms.
The Collector, while chairing a weekly meeting of district officials, also directed the managements of large industrial units and coal mines not to release effluents into rivers.
Bansal ordered a team be formed comprising the SDM and officials from Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Irrigation, Industry and Environment to carry out regular inspections in industrial units and coal mines.