CUTTACK: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered a probe by a joint committee into alleged illegal sand mining by a lessee in Baitarani river under Sanala mouza in Jajpur district.
Sarat Chandra Mahapatra of Sanala had filed an application seeking the NGT’s intervention alleging failure of regulatory authorities to curb the illegalities and violations of pollution norms, conditions of environmental clearance and consent to operate for sand mining near the village under Vyasanagar tehsil.
Alleging that the Tehsildar and local administration were working hand in glove with the lessee, Mahapatra pointed out that the mining lease, closed earlier consequent to the Tribunal’s order on May 22, 2017, was permitted to commence again after relaxation of COVID-19 norms with mechanical mining despite protests from the villagers.
NGT’s Principal Bench (New Delhi) comprising Justice SP Wangdi (Judicial Member) and Siddhanta Das (Expert Member) took up the case for hearing through video conferencing on Friday. Advocate Sankar Prasad Pani argued the case for the applicant.
The Bench said, “We deem it essential to constitute a committee comprising Jajpur Collector, the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) who shall jointly inspect the mining lease area in question, verify the factual aspects and submit a report.”
The green panel also issued notices returnable within 30 days to the Member Secretary of SEIAA, Member Secretary of OSPCB and the Collector.“In the event the allegations are found to be correct, the committee shall ensure that appropriate action is taken forthwith against the lessee in accordance with law,” the Bench said and posted the case to August 10.