CUTTACK: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday constituted a joint committee to probe into allegations of illegal extraction of sand allegedly by using excavators from Mahanadi river bed at Nuapatana under Tangi-Choudwar tehsil of Cuttack district.
The NGT’s east zone bench at Kolkata constituted the five-member committee comprising a senior scientist from integrated regional office of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhubaneswar, a senior scientist from regional office of Central Pollution Control Board, Kolkata, Cuttack Collector, a senior official/scientist from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority and District Mining Officer for the purpose.
The bench of Justice B Amit Sthalekar (Judicial Member) and Saibal Dasgupta (Expert Member) said, “The committee shall examine the site and submit its report stating therein specifically as to whether excess sand has been excavated beyond the licence granted and whether heavy machines have been used for excavation of sand which is contrary to the rules. The committee shall also enumerate any violation of the environmental clearance certificate or consent to operate”.
Srikant Pakal and another resident of the area had filed an application. The bench ordered for the joint inquiry after hearing the arguments of their counsel Sankar Prasad Pani.
The petition alleged that remote sensing satellite pictures show extensive degradation of the river bed and extraction of sand illegally through mechanized means.