Three children's drowning sparks NHRC probe into NTPC's Ash Dyke Lagoon in Bihar

Prelims-testable facts

• 01The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report regarding the drowning deaths of three children in an 'Ash Dyke Lagoon' constructed by NTPC in Muzaffarpur district, Bihar.
• 02The NHRC has issued notices to the Chairman and Managing Director, NTPC, Delhi, and the Senior Superintendent of Police, Muzaffarpur, Bihar, calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks.
• 03No warning boards were reportedly installed in the area where the 'Ash Dyke Lagoon' is located.
• 04A huge amount of coal ash is stored by NTPC in these ponds.
• 05According to the media report, no security personnel have been deployed to restrict the entry of villagers to these ponds to collect coal residue to sell in the market.
• 06The NHRC has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights.

Trap alerts

• Most people think that the NHRC's suo motu cognizance is a new development, but actually it is a power vested in the Commission to take cognizance of matters on its own initiative.
• Most people think that the NHRC can only investigate human rights violations committed by the government, but actually it has jurisdiction over any matter that raises serious issues of violation of human rights.