CUTTACK: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed a private company to pay Rs 20 crore as interim environmental compensation for illegal extraction of soil, morrum earth and other minor minerals while executing a work of the Railways.
The company engaged for laying the earth bed of Angul-Duburi-Sukinda Railway line has been asked to deposit the money with the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) within two months.
“If deposit as directed is not made, the District Magistrate, Dhenkanal, may recover the amount by using coercive measures”, the tribunal specified in its March 7 order.
The NGT’s five-member special bench headed by chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel issued the direction on an application filed by Sasee Bhoosan Patnaik, a resident of Keonjhar. Appearing on the applicant’s behalf advocate Sankar Prasad Pani had submitted that soil, morrum earth and other minor minerals is being done without requisite environment impact assessment. The area is forest area and no clearance under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 has been taken.
Acting on it, the tribunal had constituted a committee to look into the allegations. While confirming the allegations, the committee computed the environmental compensation amount at Rs 46 lakh and Rs 66.58 lakh by adopting two approaches respectively.
Taking note of it the bench, however, said, “On data available before this tribunal, it is clear that value of mined material is more than Rs 20 crore. The royalty collected itself is more than Rs 3 crore, which is said to be 10% of the value of the mined material (over18,00,000 cubic metres). Thus, the minimum value of mined material can safely be taken to be Rs 20 crore.”
The bench said, “In view of the above, we constitute a joint committee of Central Pollution Control Board, SPCB, State Environment Impact Assessment Authority and District Magistrate, Dhenkanal to revisit the calculation of compensation. The State PCB will be the nodal agency for coordination and compliance”.
The joint committee will also prepare a restoration plan for utilising the amount recovered, taking into account the district environment plan of the area. The execution may be through an appropriate agency which may be decided and overseen by the committee, the bench further said.
While disposing of the application, the special bench said, “The joint committee may report status of action taken as on July 31, 2022 with the Registrar of Kolkata Bench by August 16, 2022. If any further direction appears to be necessary, the Registrar may place the matter before the special bench.”
