Bhubaneswar: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the state government on the allegations of illegal sand mining in Subranarekha river in Balasore district and ordered an inspection into it.
The tribunal has asked to constitute a joint committee comprising senior district and state officials to visit the site and the check the ground reality.
In the written order, the NGT said, “With regard to the seriousness of the allegations, we deem it essential to constitute a Committee comprising -District Magistrate, Balasore, the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), the Odisha Pollution Control Board (State PCB) and, Regional Office of the Environment Ministry.
They shall jointly inspect the area in question, verify on the factual aspects set out by the applicant. The State Pollution Control Board shall be the nodal agency for coordination and for providing logistic support.”
The NGT has ordered completion of the inspection within 15 days. It also directed the state to act against the erring sand miners if found guilty based on the inspection report.
“In the event the violations are committed by the respondents (miners) in carrying out the sand mining, appropriate action in accordance with law be instituted against them,” the order read.
The applicant had informed the NGT that the villagers of Panchughanta in Balasore district had been affected by the impact of sand mining due to transportation of sand on the village road as there is severe air pollution, depletion of water level, change in course of the river and obstruction of the natural flow by erection of wooden bridges and approach road in the river.
It was alleged that excavators were used when permission is there only for manual mining. The applicant had also claimed that the obstruction of natural flow of the river was caused due to the creation of wooden ridges and approach road in the river.
The petition before the NGT mentioned how mining beyond permissible limits and beyond lease areas, and during day and night was carried out blatantly under the nose of the administration.
It was also stated that indiscriminate sand mining has caused severe threat to the environment and there has been severe environmental degradation and ecological impact as no Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) has been undertaken in the area.