CUTTACK: The East Zone bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered a probe into the alleged illegal and unscientific management of overburden dumps at Sukarangi and South Kaliapani chromite mines operated by the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) in Sukinda tehsil of Jajpur district.
The Tribunal passed the order while hearing a petition filed by Kailash Chandra Nayak. In his petition, Nayak alleged that the Sukarangi Chromite mines and South Kaliapani Chromite mines were causing severe environmental pollution due to improper dumping of mining overburden.
He further alleged that untreated runoff water from the mines was being directly discharged into the Damsala nala, contaminating both surface and groundwater with Hexavalent Chromium, a known carcinogenic substance posing serious health hazards to local residents.
The bench comprising Judicial member Arun Kumar Tyagi and Expert member Ishwar Singh observed that the allegations raised “substantial questions relating to environment” under provisions of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010.
It constituted a Joint Committee comprising representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Integrated Regional Office, Central Pollution Control Board, Odisha State Pollution Control Board and the district magistrate of Jajpur, and directed it to inspect the site, verify the allegations and recommend remedial measures.
The panel has also been asked to associate the petitioner and representatives of the project proponent during the inquiry. The district magistrate, Jajpur, will act as the nodal agency for coordination and compliance. The committee has been asked to submit its report within a month from receipt of the order. The bench ordered issuance of notices to the respondents.
The Tribunal also directed its registry to issue notices to the chief secretary of the Odisha government, divisional forest officer, Cuttack, deputy director of Mines, Jajpur, regional director of the Central Ground Water Board, Bhubaneswar, and the OMC. The respondents have been asked to file their response within two months. The matter will be heard on August 19.