CUTTACK: The National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) east zone bench in Kolkata has taken serious note of alleged illegal operations of a private stone crusher unit and multiple morrum quarries on forest land in Jamudiha village under Nilgiri tehsil of Balasore district.
The bench comprising Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi (Judicial Member) and Ishwar Singh (Expert Member) said, “Prima-facie, the averments made in the application raise substantial questions relating to environment.”
The tribunal issued notices to top state government officers and directed the respondents to submit their replies within one month, and listed the matter for further hearing on October 7.
The petition filed by Manas Ranjan Barik and Manoj Parida, both residents of the affected locality, highlighted how illegal morrum quarries and the stone crusher are operating in violation of multiple environmental norms. Advocate Sankar Prasad Pani, representing the petitioners, argued that the activities were taking place alarmingly close to agricultural fields, human settlements, and sensitive ecological zones.
Of particular concern is the location of these operations within 10 km of the Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary and less than 2 km from a Defence Ministry RADAR station currently under construction atop Nilgiri hill. “The stone crusher unit is situated within 200 metre of human habitation and violates the siting criteria as per the 2010 guidelines,” Pani submitted.
Despite a directive from the OSPCB in 2007 requiring such units to either shut down or relocate if situated within 1 km of village boundaries, the stone crusher has continued to operate in defiance of the regulation. The petitioners alleged that authorities have failed to act despite the violations being evident.