Data secrecy killing Singrauli, courts need “hard evidence”

10 years after their district was declared “critically polluted” residents of “energy capital” Singrauli struggle to stay alive amid 10 towering coal plants, fly ash, coal dust, fluoride, mercury poisoning and huge state apathy: courts require “hard evidence of personal injury.” Pollution-management plans are only on paper, “there’s no way to monitor” (Every village was to have Reverse Osmosis plant, there’s none on the ground).

Experts say India’s Industrial pollution data is not shared with people. CPCB officials said lack of confidence in the data being shared by industries is one reason it is not made public.