CUTTACK: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the constitution of a joint committee comprising State Government officials to probe into the allegations of grant of permit to a private party for stone quarrying in Papadahandi tehsil of Nabarangpur district without seeking necessary clearance for it
The direction came when the green panel was hearing through video conferencing a plea moved by advocate Sankar Prasad Pani on behalf of Rajendra Kachim, a resident of Papadahandi, on Friday.
According to the petition, Papadahandi Tehsildar had allegedly issued the permit for quarrying over an area of 9.68 acre. The stone quarry is located within 300 metres from Ushigam village school, water body and cultivable lands. Before grant of the permit for quarrying, no environmental clearance was obtained.
The NGT’s principal bench (New Delhi) of Justice SP Wangdi (Judicial Member), Dr Nagin Nanda (Expert Member) and Siddhanta Das (Expert Member) said, “Before proceeding further in the matter, we deem it essential to constitute a committee comprising Nabarangpur Collector, Divisional Forest Officer and Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) who shall jointly visit the project in question and submit a factual and action taken report on various aspects set out by the applicant in the application.”
The bench further directed that, “In the event it is found that the permit has been granted without obtaining environmental clearance, consent to establish and operate, the OSPCB shall be at liberty to take appropriate action against the private party in accordance with law and prohibit further activity apart from imposing necessary environmental compensation.”
“Let the inspection be conducted within two weeks from hence. The OSPCB shall be the nodal agency for providing logistic support and coordination,” the bench said in its order.The tribunal directed for listing of the case on July 17.