Bhubaneswar: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has served a notice on the Chief Secretary (CS), seeking his responses in connection with a plea demanding cancellation of environmental clearance to Kharbhuin-I stone quarry under Harabhanga tehsil in Boudh district. Boudh Collector and superintendent of police (SP), and divisional forest officer (DFO), director of Mines and Geology, Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB), deputy director general of Forests have also been made respondents by the tribunal.
The Eastern Zone bench of the environment watchdog sought the replies within four weeks while hearing a petition filed by Naresh Majhi, a resident of Kharbhuin under Harabhanga police limits of Boudh. The petitioner had informed the tribunal that Kharbhuin-I stone quarry – spread over 2.833 hectare land on Plot No 275/A, Khata No 194 in Kharbhuin Jungle under Harabhanga tehsil in Boudh – has been operating in violation of environmental norms. The quarry received environmental clearance July 10, 2024, Majhi’s counsel Sankar Prasad Pani said. Highlighting the alleged violations of environmental norms, the petitioner said the lessee has carried out excess mining without environmental clearance and environmental compensation has not been realised. “Reclamation of void pits has not been done, trees and medicinal plants in the lease and adjoining areas have been felled while clearing the land for quarry activity and illegal as well as uncontrolled blasting in the quarry has resulted in damages/cracks to the houses near Kharbhuin jungle village,” the petitioner said. The petitioner also claimed that the overburden dumps were not being dressed, benched and barricaded so as to prevent soil erosion during monsoon.
Besides, there is no garland drain around the mining pit. “Proper site visit has not been done by the district authorities prior to grant of environmental clearance. The District Survey Report (DSR) of Boudh is invalid as it is not approved by the SEIAA and SEAC. The quarry and the plot for which the EC is granted is not a part of the DSR,” the petitioner alleged. It was also alleged that the site has no billboard informing people about the conditions in mining. The environment clearance letter is neither displayed in Kharbhuin jungle village or panchayat office, nor is it available in the website of SEIAA, Odisha. “In the DSR, KharbhuinI stone quarry is located in khata no.2, plot no.50. However, the environmental clearance granted to the lessee mentions Kharbhuin I stone quarry on khata no.194, plot no.275/A,” the petitioner pointed out. Judicial member Justice B Amit Sthalekar and expert member Dr Arun Kumar Verma posted the next hearing to October 10, 2024. The notices have also been served on Harabhanga tehsildar, deputy director of mining, deputy director of explosives, State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Odisha and the lessee.