The Jharkhand High Court has issued a series of directions to mitigate air and noise pollution caused by coal transportation near a coal washery site in Ramgarh district.
The Bench comprising Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad took note of a report submitted by the Secretary, DLSA, who inspected the site and found a 400-meter stretch of damaged road near the coal washery, which was causing severe dust pollution and noise disturbances to nearby villagers. However, the second issue regarding whether coal trucks were adequately covered could not be addressed due to a truck operators’ strike.
The Court directed:
Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) to repair the damaged 400-meter road stretch post-monsoon.
All coal-carrying trucks must be covered with tarpaulin to prevent dust dispersion.
The Superintendent of Police, Ramgarh, must ensure compliance with Chapter V of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, especially prohibiting pressure or multi-tone horns to curb noise pollution.
The Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) and its Member Secretary must ensure:
Full compliance with Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.
No vehicle is allowed with unauthorized pressure horns, extra lights (especially red and blue resembling emergency vehicles), or flag rods.
All unauthorized flags, regardless of political or religious affiliation, be removed immediately.
Loudspeakers must not operate between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM without prior permission.
The Court has sought compliance through personal affidavits from the Director General of Police and the Member Secretary of JSPCB, with the next hearing scheduled for August 11, 2025.
Appearances:
Petitioners: Mr. Rajendra Krishna, Advocate; Mr. Shubham Mayank, Advocate; Mr. Pratyush Shounikya, Advocate; Mr. Aayush Anant Srivastava, Advocate; Mr. Jay Shankar Tiwari, Advocate; Mr. Manish Kumar, Advocate;
Respondents: State: Mr. Sachin Kumar, A.A.G.-II; Mr. Gaurav Raj, A.C. to A.A.G.-II
JSPCB: Mrs. Richa Sanchita, Advocate; Ms. Suman Roy, Advocate
CCL: Mr. Amit Kumar Das, Advocate; Mr. Ujjal Chaudhary, Advocate; Mr. Raunak Sahay, Advocate; Mr. Shivam Utkarsh Sahay, Advocate; Mr. Srikant Swaroop, Advocate