Nagpur: Two senior officers of Maharashtra State Power Generation Company (MahaGenco) have been suspended in connection with collapse of Khasala ash bund of Koradi Super Critical Thermal Power Project. Those suspended as per information are Shirish Wath, Superintending Engineer, Establishment-II, and Pravin Madavi, Executive Engineer, Ash Handling, Extension Thermal Power Plant.
However, the agency that was contracted for managing the ash bund has been spared the action that has raised many eyebrows among the MahaGenco officers. On Wednesday, Ashok Shingare, Member Secretary, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), toured the Khasala bund area and inspected the site and surveyed the damage due to spilling of ash laced water in the nearby areas. He was accompanied by Ashok Kare, Regional Officer, B M Motghare, Joint Secretary, Air Pollution Unit, Umesh Bhadule, Deputy Regional Officer, Pusadkar, Regional Officer.
The MPCB officers were briefed about the ash bund by Abhay Harne, Chief Engineer, KTPS, Karde, Chief Engineer, Establishment-II. Post completion of the tour the senior officers of MahaGenco were taken to task and asked as to action taken by them respectively. MPCB’s Member Secretary has directed the Chief Engineer, KTPS, to submit short term and long term measures to be undertaken by MahaGenco in the aftermath of collapse of the ash bund.
Leena Budhe, Director, Centre for Sustainable Development, and Shripad Dharmadhikari, and other environmentalists had criticised the MahaGenco officials for the collapse of ash bund. The environmentalists had claimed that the height of ash bund was illegally increased and without seeking a nod from MPCB.
