Bhubaneswar: Irked by the blatant non-compliance of orders of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on checking illegal sand-mining in Balasore, the Oversight Committee has expressed its displeasure.
After multiple reports of non-compliance of the NGT order which had asked the Balasore district administration to curb illegal sand-mining near Sekhsarai village under the Jaleswar Tehsil, the oversight panel scrutinised the matter. The panel was formed by the NGT to look into the matter.
Justice RK Merathia, Chairman of the panel has now sought response from the state government and all other related departments on why the issues raised have now been taken care of and why multiple times the non-compliance facts with proofs are coming to the fore.
Merathia has now asked the Chief Secretary and the Balasore DM to stop such activities at the earliest. He said, “A reply to the said application should be sent to me, within a week and till further orders, sand-mining and transportation from the concerned area should be stopped immediately in strict compliance of the order, failing which it will be treated as continuous violations.”
The applicants had earlier moved NGT complaining that a number of trucks are plying in their area and creating pollution and extracting sand illegally from the area. The demanded intervention of the tribunal against the alleged illegal act on the banks and inside Subarnarekha river.