CUTTACK: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) closed proceedings related to the issue of diversion of Kurdabahali Nalla, a portion of Nadira River by Jindal Steel & Power Limited (JSPL) in Angul district.NGT’s East Zone Bench in Kolkata was informed on affidavit by state authorities on Thursday that JSPL had paid Rs 1.5 crore to the State forest department and Rs 50 lakh to the Odisha State Pollution Control Board.
Taking note of it, the bench of B. Amit Sthalekar (Judicial Member) and Saibal Dasgupta (Expert Member) on Thursday said, “Nothing further remains for adjudication. The directions of this Tribunal have been complied with.”The Tribunal had started proceedings in the case in 2017 after a petition filed by Alekha Chandra Tripathy complained about the blocking of the Kurdabahali Nalla and the destruction of the surrounding environment and forest due to it.
A joint committee was constituted by it to inspect the area. Subsequently, the committee submitted a report stating that JSPL had diverted the Nalla and created a 3.7 km long alternate channel for the free flow of water into the Parang minor irrigation project.
A portion of the Kurdabahali Nalla covering a distance of 3.8 km passes within the acquired area leading to the irrigation project. Due to continuous waterlogging in the area and to allow free flow of water of the Kurdabahali Nalla into the Parang minor irrigation project, the JSPL diverted the Nalla by providing an alternate channel through their acquired area, the committee stated in the report.
The Tribunal on the basis of the report approved the diversion of the Nalla on November 26, 2021. It, however, directed JSPL to bear the estimated expenditure of Rs 1.5 crore required for plantation including fruit-bearing trees on the sides of the banks of this alternate channel and maintain it and the estimated cost of Rs 50 lakh towards continuous monitoring of the water quality in it (inlet and outlet) as well as the quality in the irrigation project by the Odisha State Pollution Control Board.