Baripada: On the management of minor minerals in Mayurbhanj district, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued its final verdict, pointing out flaws in the District Survey Report (DSR).
A two-member bench of the NGT Friday directed the District Collector to halt sand mining or any auctions related to sand extraction in the district until the DSR is reviewed by the State Level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) and approved by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA). As a result, sand mining in the Mayurbhanj district will remain suspended indefinitely.
The DSR prepared for sand mining in Mayurbhanj district was challenged on the grounds of illegality by Vivekananda Pattnaik, who filed a complaint with the NGT in April 2022.
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After more than two years and nine months, the NGT considered the case and delivered its verdict, with judicial member Justice B Amit Sthalekar and expert member Arun Kumar Verma presiding over the hearing.
During the hearing August 8 last year, the NGT had ordered the suspension of all minor mineral extraction activities in Mayurbhanj district. Subsequently, the final hearing which was scheduled to be done December 3 was conducted January 10, 2025, and the previous order remained in place.
The suspension of sand mining has created challenges for ongoing government development projects in the district, which may face delays. The local administration is under pressure to take corrective actions to address these issues. However, concerns about the illegal extraction of sand from areas like Budhabalanga continue despite the NGT orders, raising fears of further legal proceedings.
PNN