NGT stays market complicated on water physique in Berhampur

By Express News Service

CUTTACK:  The Berhampur Development Authority (BDA)’s bid to assemble a market complicated over Santra Bandha, a water physique has hit a highway block with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) issuing a keep order on it on Tuesday.

The interim keep order was issued by NGT’s East Zone Bench on a petition filed by Natabara Sahu and others. According to the petition BDA was establishing the Ganjam Hatta/Commercial Complex/Market Complex on a water physique over an space of 5 acre at a challenge price of Rs 25.66 crore. The space the place the development is on is recorded within the income document as ‘Jalasaya’ which is a water physique.

By establishing the Commercial Complex, BDA had triggered destruction and degradation of the water physique and acted in violation of the Supreme Court instructions in Hinch Lal Tiwari vs Kamal Devi & Ors of 2001. The Supreme Court had directed the authorities to revive water our bodies and defend them from encroachments, the petition alleged. Advocate Biranchi Narayan Mohapatra appeared on the petitioner’s behalf.

While issuing discover to the BDA, the Bench of Justice B Amit Sthalekar (Judicial Member) and Justice Saibal Dasgupta (Expert Member) stated, “In our opinion, matter requires consideration” and stuck July 15 as the subsequent date for listening to on the petition.

“In the meantime, we direct that there shall be stay on further construction of Ganjam Hatta on Plot No.1096 (Jalasaya)”, the Bench stated within the interim order. The Bench anticipated BDA to file its reply affidavit to the petition inside 4 weeks.