Judgement of the National Green Tribunal regarding filling up of Kurdabahali Nalla by JSPL, district Angul, Odisha, 26/11/2021
Judgement of the National Green Tribunal (Eastern Zone Bench, Kolkata) in the matter of Alekha Chandra Tripathy Vs State of Odisha & Others dated 26/11/2021.
An application was filed in the NGT against the Jindal Steel & Power Limited for unauthorisedly usurping the Nandira river in the district Angul, Odisha in connivance with the state authorities located at Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Nandira river has been filled with earth, thereby completely obliterating the river and constructed the industrial unit over the said land for construction of an integrated steel plant with a captive power plant at Sanakerjang in Sankerjang Jungle under Nisha Police Station, Angul district, Odisha. It is stated that no prior permission has been sought by the JSPL from the concerned authorities before filling up the Nandira river.
The NGT said that JSPL has interfered with nature by changing the natural course of Kurdabahali Nalla which cannot now be restored and imposed a cost of Rs. 2,00,00,000/- (Two Crore) upon Jindal Steel & Power Limited, for filling up the original Kurdabahali Nalla with earth and constructing its industrial complex thereon at a time when it had not received sanction from the government of Odisha for diversion of the Kurdabahali nalla through an alternate diversion into the Parang Minor Irrigation Project.