Illegal mining: NGT slams Odisha State Pollution Control Board, seeks higher report

By Express News Service

CUTTACK: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has expressed dissatisfaction over the report submitted by Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) on unlawful laterite and black stone mining on Puri Jagannath temple land in Khurda district.

The NGT’s East Zone bench in Kolkata expressed its disappointment on Thursday as there have been anomalies within the report filed by OSPCB on behalf of the Joint Committee which had inquired into the allegations of unlawful laterite and black stone mining. 

Accordingly, the bench of B Amit Sthalekar (Judicial Member) and Saibal Dasgupta (Expert Member) mentioned, “Odisha State Pollution Control Board is, therefore, directed to file a better affidavit explaining all the anomalies noted by us within three weeks.”

A perusal of OSPCB’s report, in keeping with the Tribunal, confirmed that 26 laterite stone quarries have been recognized and notified for public sale. Out of 4 laterite stone quarries which have been auctioned, operator of just one quarry has obtained Environmental Clearance from the SEIAA, (MoEF&CC), and Consent to Establish and Consent to Operate from the OSPCB. 

“What is the status of other three auctioned quarries has not been mentioned? It is also not clear whether these three quarries have started operations in absence of Environmental Clearance, Consent to Establish and Consent to Operate, and if so, what action has been taken by the Board against them,” the bench noticed.

The NGT had constituted the Joint Committee on a petition filed by Bidu Bhusan Harichandan. The petition alleged that unlawful laterite stone mining was ongoing at 40 totally different websites in Khurda district to an extent of 500 acre encompassing a number of villages together with Tapanga, Anda and Jhinkijhari beneath Nijigarh Tapang panchayat.

The report additional said that to cease the unlawful mining from Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) land, about 40 black stone quarries and two laterite stone quarries have been auctioned and the lessee have obtained Environmental Clearance and Consent to Establish and Consent to Operate from OSPCB.

The bench additionally noticed, “It is not clear whether these 40 black stone quarries are different from the 26 laterite stone quarries or they are the same.” The report talked about an inventory of 59 quarries comprising cumulative space of 15.50 hectare the place the unlawful excavation was happening as supplied by the SJTA.

“These figures do not tally with the figures mentioned in the report of 40 + 26 = 66 stone quarries. This affidavit does not even show as to what action has been taken against the 59 quarries where the illegal excavation has been made as disclosed by the SJTA  itself,” the bench additional noticed.