KENDRAPARA: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday directed the district administration to take steps for restitution of rivers Mahanadi and Brahmani banks adversely impacted by illegal extraction of minor minerals, soil, morum and earth to lay railway tracks in Kendrapara.
A bench comprising Justice B Amit Sthalekar (judicial member) and Justice Saibal Dasgupta (expert member) directed the Collector of Kendrapara to ensure that there is no illegal excavation in the area in question. The Collector shall take all security measures as may be necessary including the formation of monitoring teams that shall inspect the area regularly. Strict surveillance measures through satellite monitoring, as well as the installation of CCTV cameras in strategic locations, may be ensured.
Four petitioners had sought the intervention of NGT after it was alleged that without environmental clearance, Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) extracted minor minerals and earth for construction of the 81 km Haridaspur-Paradip railway line which adversely impacted the banks of the two rivers.
The petitioners alleged that contractors illegally procured soil, morum and earth for use in the construction of the bed of the Haridaspur-Paradip railway line without obtaining an environmental clearance certificate, order from tehsildars or sanction from any competent authority as per the Orissa Minor Mineral Concession (OMMC) Rules, 2016 and Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
The NGT had entrusted National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela with the task of conducting a comprehensive survey on the alleged unlawful activities along the river banks. In its report, the NIT team suggested restitution measures to mitigate the adverse environmental impact on the banks of Brahmani and Mahanadi.
The river banks are required to be stabilised with soil followed by plantation to prevent soil erosion. Lightweight grass with deep root system or other locally available natural species may be planted up to five metre from the bank crest which will help in preventing erosion. Lightweight vegetation with a spreading root system may be planted beyond this zone to facilitate the safe release of water without carrying soil particles. Besides, the land close to excavated riverbanks is required to be filled up by sand and soil to its original level, the NIT report stated.
Considering the observations of the NIT team, the NGT directed Kendrapara Collector to ensure compliance with the recommendations with regard to restitution measures in a time bound manner within four months.