CUTTACK: The East Zone Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to multiple authorities of the Odisha government and central environmental bodies over alleged environmental violations and administrative inaction concerning the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around the Similipal Tiger Reserve.
The bench, comprising Judicial Member Arun Kumar Tyagi and Expert Member Ishwar Singh, was hearing a petition filed by Santanu Kumar Bhukta, representing a Talcher-based non-governmental organisation. The applicant sought the tribunal’s intervention against what he described as the state government’s failure to notify the eco-sensitive zone of Similipal Tiger Reserve and regulate activities within the proposed ESZ area.
After hearing the counsel for the applicant and examining the material on record, the tribunal observed that the application raises substantial environmental questions under the enactments listed in Schedule I of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010. The tribunal has issued notices to the chief secretary of Odisha, additional chief secretary of Forest, Environment and Climate Change department, the field director of Similipal Tiger Reserve, collector of Mayurbhanj, DFO Baripada, deputy director general of forests at the MoEFCC’s regional office in Bhubaneswar and the member secretary of the National Board for Wildlife.
The respondents have been directed to file their replies within one month. Advocates Sankar Prasad Pani and Ashutosh Padhy made submissions on behalf of the petitioner. The matter has been listed for further consideration on April 30.
According to the petition, a draft notification proposing the eco-sensitive zone for Similipal-Hadgarh was issued on January 29, 2019, but the final notification has not yet been issued even after more than six years. Consequently, unregulated construction, large-scale tree felling, drilling of bore wells and dumping of plastic waste are allegedly taking place within the eco-sensitive zone areas of the reserve.
The petitioner further claimed that the absence of a zonal master plan has allowed such activities to continue unchecked, contrary to the guidelines governing ESZ issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.