Order of the National Green Tribunal regarding illegally extracting sand without valid EC, CTO and mining plan in Dhamnagar tahasil, Bhadrak district, Odisha, 20/03/2024
Order of the National Green Tribunal (Eastern Zone Bench, Kolkata) in the matter of Bhagabat Sahoo & Others Vs State of Odisha & Others dated 20/03/2024. The matter related to illegally extracting sand without valid EC, CTO and mining plan in Dhamnagar tahasil, Bhadrak district, Odisha.
According to the application filed before the NGT, sand lifting is taking place outside the lease area in Uteipur-2 sand quarry in Uteipur Mouza (Anandapur GP) of Sodhar RI circle of Dhamnagar tahasil. Machines (excavators) are used when permission is only for manual mining. In addition, excess mining is taking place beyond the permissible limit and mining is taking place day and night and beyond the designated lease area. Mining is taking place even during the monsoon season which is banned.
The court said that the matter required consideration and directed notice to be issued to Odisha State Pollution Control Board; State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) Odisha; Central Pollution Control Board among others. The tribunal also directed the constitution of a fact finding committee to elicit the veracity of the allegations. The committee would inspect the site in question and submit its report within four weeks with respect to the allegations made.