CUTTACK : The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has rejected the affidavits filed by the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) in response to the petition that had alleged illegal mining of sand beyond the permitted lease area in the Kusei riverbed area at Deogaon under Ghasipura tehsil of Keonjhar district.
The NGT’s East Zone Bench in Kolkata was hearing the petition filed by Tapas Kumar Bal, a resident of Deogaon alleging unchecked mechanical extraction of sand by using high power machines (excavators) by the lessee.
In an additional affidavit, petitioner counsel Sankar Prasad Pani pointed out that the affidavits filed by SEIAA and OSPCB had not given specific replies to the allegations made in the petition.
Taking note of it, the bench of Justice B Amit Sthalekar (Judicial Member) and Dr Arun Kumar Verma (Expert Member) said the affidavits filed by SEIAA and OSPCB had not given replies with regard to the allegations made in the petition. “None of the affidavits of the respondents has given any para-wise reply to the allegations of the petition. In fact, the affidavits filed by the respondents are in an essay form,” the bench observed in its April 30 order.
The bench directed SEIAA and OSPCB to file fresh para-wise counter affidavits within four weeks. While directing the deputy director Mines to file a reply affidavit, the tribunal also granted the lessee four weeks’ time to file a response to the petition. The bench posted the matter to May 31.
The petition had alleged illegal mining of sand beyond the permitted area by the lessee in Kusei river which is intersecting Jajpur and Keonjhar districts. The sand quarry in question is adjoining Jajpur and sand is being illegally mined from the Jajpur side whereas transportation of the mined mineral is being done on the Keonjhar side, the petition alleged.