A 32 page preliminary investigation report into the environmental carrying capacity for polluting projects and allied issues in Tamnar and Gharghoda blocks of Raigarh district, Chhattisgarh made public on Februry 26, 2020 on the National Green Tribunal (NGT) website. The report was in response to the NGT order of July 22, 2019.

The report mentioned that the overall generation of fly ash in Raigarh district (bulk of which comes from 12 power plants) comes to arouund 6,628,283 TPA. Of this, around 97% is reported as being utilized, in which utilization by way of back filling to mine is 24%, use in low-lying areas in 27%, and in brick manufacturing is 5% only.

Major environmental impacts included air pollution due to coal mining, comprising fly ash backfilling, thermal power plants, coal washeries, sponge iron and steel plants and road transport of coal. Water pollution, soil pollution, groundwater depletion, deforestation, displacement and risk to life due to blasting are other environmental impacts.

The report also suggested short term and long term mesures to combat the problem including: no further conversion of underground mines to open cast mines in Tamnar and Gharghoda. The joint committee was of the opinion that the Tamnar-Gharghoda block region was close to exceeding its environmental carrying capacity.