CUTTACK: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought responses from the state government and a private quarry lessee on allegations of illegal stone mining, environmental violations and excess mineral extraction at Jamudiha Stone Quarry-2 in Balasore district.
A two-member East Zone Bench comprising Judicial Member Arun Kumar Tyagi and Expert Member Ishwar Singh observed that the petition raised substantial questions relating to environment under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010.
The application has been filed by Manas Ranjan Barik and Manoj Parida, represented by advocates Sankar Prasad Pani and Ashutosh Padhy.
According to the petition, the 1.49-acre Jamudiha Stone Quarry-2 in Nilagiri tehsil has allegedly extracted black stone beyond its approved capacity and failed to submit mandatory half-yearly compliance reports. The applicants further alleged that the quarry lacks a wildlife management plan despite operating within a 10-km radius of a wildlife sanctuary and that repeated blasting has caused cracks in nearby houses while violating several environmental clearance conditions. The petitioners have sought revocation of the environmental clearance granted to the quarry on May 5, 2025, imposition of exemplary penalty on the private lessee for alleged environmental violations and excess mining, fixation of accountability of government officials for alleged inaction, and reclamation of mining voids.
The tribunal directed issuance of notices to the additional chief secretary of the Forest, Environment and Climate Change department, Balasore collector, mining officer, Nilagiri tehsildar, State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB).
It also ordered that notice be served on the private lessee, who has been asked to submit a compliance report within 10 days.