Kendrapara: The National Green Tribunal’s (NGT), Principal Bench at New Delhi has directed the Collector to provide a clear picture on whether the Odisha Panchayat Raj and Drinking Water Department’s Mega Piped Water Supply Project at Manikunda involves only one hectare or less.
While receiving the observation report of the Joint Committee of the Collector–cum-DM Kendrapara and the DFO of Cuttack, the NGT stated that although applications under Section 3 (2) (g) of ST&OTFD Act, 2006 for diversion of forest land submitted by the Executive Engineer, RWS&S Division, Kendrapara, for an area measuring less than one hectare had been processed and use of forest land allowed, it is covered by several terms and conditions.
This obviously pertains only to two villages and does not give a clear picture as to whether or not other areas are also involved. If the entire project involves an area of only one hectare or less, application for forest clearance would not be necessary. It is not certain as to whether the activity is restricted to just one hectare or less, the NGT said.
The NGT, therefore, sought a clarification regarding this from the same Joint Committee of the Collector–cum-DM, and directed to submit a report via email to judicial-ngt@gov.in, before September 3, 2019.
The Joint Committee of the Collector–cum-DM and the DFO of Cuttack brought to the notice of the NGT that the Joint Committee Team had observed that the Mega Piped Water Supply Project was sanctioned by the Government of Odisha to meet the acute drinking water scarcity in that area for 2,65,177 people.
The NGT was informed in its report that there is no tree felling on the forest land and there is no forest over the plot except for a few acacia trees on the plot’s boundary.
PNN
