Northeast Desk, 1st August: The Meghalaya government has issued new guidelines for establishing coke oven plants with annual production capacities under 25,000 MT. The Forest and Environment Department’s notification sets stringent location criteria to mitigate environmental impacts:
- Standalone Plants:
- Must be located at least 500 meters from main roads, 1 km from village outskirts and public facilities, and 100 meters from major water bodies.
- A minimum 1 km distance is required between individual plants.
- Clusters (two or more units within 1 km):
- Must be situated 1 km from main roads, 3 km from villages and public places, and 200 meters from significant water sources.
- A 5 km buffer is mandated between clusters.
- Units within a cluster must share a common approach road.
Additional requirements include:
- Green Belt: 100 meters buffer for standalone units and 300 meters for clusters.
- Compliance with national environmental protection measures and emission standards.
These guidelines follow recommendations from the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board and a High Court directive.
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