Baripada: A National Green Tribunal (NGT) appointed joint committee has recommended for collection of penalty of Rs 12.35 crore towards compensation damages to the environment while submitting a report on illegal sand mining at Mahupura ghat under Badasahi tehsil of Mayurbhanj district, a report said. The committee comprising the district collector of Mayurbhanj, members of the State Environment Impact Assessment Committee (SEIAA), district Mines department, State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) and Badasahi tehsildar, conducted a probe into the illegal sand mining activities from the river ghat, May 9, 2022. The committee has exposed large-scale irregularities in sand mining in its report.
The report said the river has changed its course due to excessive sand mining. It added that sand has been illegally mined even beyond the lease area. The NGT had directed for a probe while hearing on a petition filed by Radhamohan Singh and it scheduled the next date of hearing for August 25. According to case diary, Singh in his petition had alleged that sand has been mined from Mahupura river ghat 20 times more than the prescribed limits with the help of heavy earth moving equipment. The Union government had granted March 31, 2021 environmental clearance for mining of 2,400 cubic metre of sand annually from the river ghat. The permission was to mine sand manually by engaging labourers.
However, heavy machinery were used to lift sands more than the prescribed limits, the petitioner stated in his petition. The NGT admitted the case for hearing and directed to conduct a probe and verify the charges by forming a joint committee.