CUTTACK: A joint committee of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has confirmed illegal extraction of stone at Nischinta hill in Dehenkanal district’s Gondia tehsil without obtaining Environmental Clearance (EC), Consent to Operate (CTO) and blasting licence, etc.
However, the quantum of mineral excavated from the hill could not be assessed due to non-availability of Orissa Remote Sensing Application Centre (ORSAC)-empanelled agency with scientific instruments during inspection, the committee said in an interim report which was placed before NGT’s East Zone Bench on February 17.
Taking note of it, the bench of Justice B Amit Sthalekar (Judicial Member) and Dr Arun Kumar Verma (Expert Member) directed the state government to file the report of the ORSAC with regard to the quantum of excavation so that if illegal excavation is found to have been carried out by the stone crushers, appropriate action as per law may be taken against them. The bench has scheduled March 18 for next hearing.
The tribunal had formed the joint committee to ascertain the veracity of allegations of illegal operations by the mining mafia who had already excavated more than 20,000 tonnes of stone by blasting and using heavy machines. The allegations were made in a petition filed by Talcher-based United Youth for Sustainable Environment Trust. Advocates Sankar Prasad Pani and Ashutosh Padhy represented the Trust.
The joint committee visited the area in November last year and observed that the extraction of stone had been done at the Nischinta hill which is located along the common boundary of Dhenkanal and Jajpur districts.
It recommended the Forest department to assess the quantum of deforestation caused by the stone quarries, and district administrations of Dhenkanal and Jajpur to demarcate the district boundary by posting pillar so that quantum of mineral excavated in their respective revenue districts can be assessed and environmental compensation can be computed thereafter.