Baripada: The East Zone bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) at Kolkata slapped Thursday a penalty of over Rs 36 crore on two leaseholders while passing an order on illegal sand mining and transportation from the three quarries of Budhabalanga river in Mayurbhanj district. The three sand quarries in question are Arapata, Dingira and Mahupura. The two leaseholders have been directed to pay the penalty by December 7, advocate Shankar Prasad Pani, pleading the matter in the Tribunal said. The bench comprising judicial member B Amit Sthalekar and expert member Saibal Dasgupta passed the order based on an affidavit filed by the Mayurbhanj district collector.
The tribunal also ordered the installation of CCTVs in the quarries and GPS in vehicles transporting sand. It also asked for a supervising squad at the sand quarries. The tribunal also directed the district authorities to file cases under various sections of the IPC and CrPC against former tehsildar Mumtaz Moharana for his alleged involvement in illegal sand quarrying. The order came on the basis of three petitions(30/22, 31/22, and 40/22) filed by Radhamohan Singh of Chhelia village under Badasahi block in Mayurbhanj district over illegal sand mining and transportation from Arapata, Dingira and Mahupura quarries under Badasahi tehsil.
The bench conducted a hearing on virtual mode in the presence of additional officer Tapas Kumar Praharaj of NGT Standing Committee, lawyers Dipanjan Ghosh, Gorachand Ray Choudhury, Shiba Jyoti Chakraborty, Pausali Banerjee and Debasish Ghosh. A fine of Rs 4,71,38,868 was slapped for damaging environment and bio-diversity through excess mining at the Arapata sand quarry and Rs 21 lakh for environmental pollution and Rs 1.91 crore towards revenue loss to the government. A penalty of Rs 11,89,77,404 was slapped for illegal activities at the Dingira quarry, Rs 21 lakh towards environmental loss and Rs 1,36,50,605 towards revenue loss resulting in a total penalty of Rs 13,47,28,009.
Leaseholder Pradeep Bindhani has been asked to pay a penalty of Rs 20,40,66,877 for the Arapata and Dingira quarries. Similarly a penalty of Rs 16,28,3,244 was imposed for illegal activities associated with the Mahupura sand quarries. Leaseholder Krupasindhu Singh has been ordered to shell out the amount. The district collector has been asked to initiate steps if the leaseholders fail to pay.