Bhubaneswar: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has formed a three-member committee to look into allegations of the cold storage unit at Palbani of Baripada in Mayurbhanj district operating in violation of norms, endangering lives. The committee will have Mayurbhanj District Magistrate (DM) or his representative, a senior scientist of Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB), and a representative of the Directorate of Factories and Boilers as its members. “The committee shall visit the site in question and submit its factual and action taken report (ATR) about the allegations made. The Mayurbhanj DM shall be the nodal officer for all logistic purposes, and shall file the inspection report of the committee on affidavit,” NGT Eastern Zone Bench’s judicial member Justice B Amit Sthalekar and expert member Arun Kumar Verma ordered Thursday. The committee has been asked to submit its reports within four weeks, it is learnt. The NGT move came during the hearing of a plea filed by Sapan Kumar Ghosh, a resident of Palbani under Baripada Town Police limits in Mayurbhanj district, July 8, 2024. Senior lawyer Sankar Prasad Pani, who represented Ghosh, informed the environment watchdog that a public complaint was lodged with the Directorate of Factories and Boilers April 17, 2023 alleging that ammonia gas was leaking from a cold storage unit at Palbani, endangering lives in the locality.
Taking cognisance, the Assistant Director of Factories and Boilers of Keonjhar zone inspected the unit operated by a private individual May 5, 2023, Pani said. The inspection found multiple lapses and violations at the unit. “While the ammonia receiver along with the connected pipelines was found not tested by a competent person duly approved by Chief Inspector of Factories, neither portable sensors nor online sensors were provided near the receiver and connected pipelines,” Pani said quoting the inspection report. “Workers engaged for handling highly toxic ammonia gas didn’t have adequate technical qualification or training. The outlet of the safety valve wasn’t put inside the water source to restrict the adverse effect of ammonia gas on people,” he added. Soon after, the petitioner filed an application under RTI the response of which was received May 8, 2024. “The RTI response revealed that the unit was operating without the mandatory consent to operate (CTO),” Pani said, adding that the OSPCB provides CTO to cold storage. Backed with the RTI revelations and the inspection report of the Directorate of Factories and Boilers, the petitioner moved the NGT seeking immediate closure of the cold storage unit till obtaining CTO from the OSPCB. The petitioner also urged the NGT to direct the OSPCB to calculate the environment compensation for the defaulting period and impose the same on the unit’s owner. Besides forming a committee, the environment watchdog also asked the parties to the plea, including the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department Additional Chief Secretary, OSPCB Member Secretary and the cold storage unit owner, to file their counter affidavits within four weeks.
ARINDAM GANGULY, OP