CUTTACK: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed Rs 36 crore penalty on lessees for damage to the environment due to excessive mining of sand and illegal operation of the quarry in the Mayurbhanj district without valid consent to operate. The excessive extraction of sand has been estimated to be 1.49 lakh cubic metres in the Budhabalanga river bed at Mahupura, Dingiria and Arapata under Bada Sahi tehsil in Mayurbhanj district.
The NGT’s East Zone in Kolkata directed the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) to initiate proceedings against lessees - for recovery of penalty and environmental compensation on Tuesday while disposing of a petition filed by one Radha Mohan Singh. The petition had sought intervention against alleged violation of the mining plan and loss of royalty due to indiscriminate extraction of sand in excess of permissible limit by using excavators.
The bench of Justice B Amit Sthalekar (Judicial Member) and Justice Saibal Dasgupta (Expert Member) also directed the authorities to lodge FIRs against the lessees, Pradeep Kumar Bindhani and Krupasindhu Singh. “In view of the overwhelming documentary evidence and the Inspection Report, it is established that the lessees and the tehsildar, Badasahi were prima facie acting in connivance in theft and pilferage of sand from the sand beds in question, thus, causing theft of several crores of State Revenue,” the bench observed.
“Though it is stated that FIR has been lodged against Pradeep Kumar Bindhani and Krupasindhu Singh, there is nothing on record to show that FIR has been lodged against Mamtaj Maharana, tehsildar, Badasahi, Mayurbhanj. We fail to understand as to why the State Respondents are shielding Maharana and all that has been said is that investigation is pending against her and department proceedings have been initiated against her which are pending and she is under suspension,” the bench also observed.
In the order, the bench further said, “Affidavit of compliance shall be filed by the Collector & District Magistrate, Mayurbhanj by 07.12.2022. We also direct the District Magistrate, Mayurbhanj to ensure that no illegal sand mining takes place in the district. Further, wherever legal sand mining is going on, strict monitoring mechanisms like installation of CCTV cameras at a strategic location, GPS-enabled trucks used for transportation of sand and checking squads be put in place.”