PARADIP: The Orissa High Court on Tuesday asked the State Government and Jagatsinghpur district administration to conduct an inquiry and submit a report on removal of illegal encroachment on creek land near Bata river at Udayabata village by a private firm Kalinga Calciner Ltd.
Revenue Divisional Commissioner of Central range, Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur Collector have been asked to launch a probe into the matter and submit a detailed report within three months.
Villagers of Udayabata had filed a writ petition in the HC seeking removal of encroachment on the creek by the private company, which was shut down for failing to comply with pollution norms two years back.
They alleged that encroachment of land has reduced water flow in Bata river. Moreover, it has led to shortage of oxygen in water, thereby resulting in frequent incidents of mass fish deaths in the river.
Every year, tonnes of fish die in the river due to this reason, causing strong resentment among the locals, including fishermen, said the petitioners.
As per reports, the firm, which is engaged in manufacturing calcined petroleum carbon, has illegally encroached on Government land at Udayabata village. The company has grabbed a land measuring 1.65 acre besides a 70-decimal patch on the creek which was used by Kujang King for hunting in the ancient times and later, by local villagers to reach their agriculture fields. This apart, another 30 decimal land in the village has been occupied by the firm illegally.
Recently, villagers filed an RTI application and came to know that Kujang Tehsildar has not given permission to the company to use the patches of land for its use.
Sources said the creek was used as a channel to discharge rain and sea water from the locality to Bata river. However, the firm erected a concrete boundary which is obstructing the flow of water and thereby, resulting in artificial floods in Uday Vihar Colony.
Earlier, when the company was in operation, the creek was used to discharge it unit’s effluent into Bata river. The release of toxic waste into the river had a devastating effect on fish and other aquatic species in the water body.
Last week, thousands of dead fish were found floating in Bata due to oxygen shortage in water. In 2016, a similar incident of mass fish deaths due to pollution in the river had been reported.