Puri: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the authorities concerned to stop stone quarrying from two hillocks owned by Srimandir in Khurda district.
The green body has directed Khurda collector, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and the leaseholders to stop stone quarrying from two hillocks with immediate effect. The matter would come up for hearing November 27.
Petitioner Kanhu Charan Chhualsingh had raised questions over the legality of the lease order and the environment clearance for quarrying activities at Hatia hillock.
“The NGT has directed Forest and Environment department secretary to probe the allegation made by the petitioner,” said Chhualsingh’s lawyer Shankar Prasad Pani.
Hatia hillock at Nijagarh Tapang mouza and Kalinga hillock at Jhinkijhari mouza are located on Srimandir land. Hatia hillock has five operational stone quarries while Kalinga hillock has one.
Chhualsingh had filed the case in the eastern bench of NGT in Kolkata and alleged that quarrying activities at Hatia hillock were causing environmental pollution in the locality. He claimed that the leaseholder did not undertake plantation activities around the hillock to counter environmental hazards and had even gone beyond the permitted area to quarry stone.
The petitioner had also informed the green body that a Rural Development department road in the locality had developed potholes due to the plying of stone-laden vehicles.
Besides these, the petitioner had alleged that the leaseholder had been indulging in quarrying activities up to 20 metres into the ground while the state government’s approval was for merely six metres.
Chhualsingh did not stop at that. He had also brought up the allegation in his petition that illegal blasting activities at Hatia hillock were on in full swing and that has been causing a tremor-like situation in the nearby areas.
That cracks have developed in a nearby school building had also been conveyed to the NGT through the submission of photographs by Singh.Anima Pahantasingh, according to the petitioner, was allotted the quarries at Hatia hillock May 19, 2016.
“But, the environmental clearance for the quarrying activities was given May 9 that year in violation of the existing norms and it was sent to the SJTA instead of the leaseholder. Moreover, as per the lease order, Paltasingh can lift up to 20,100 tonnes of stones annually from a 2.4 hectare area,’’ the petition contended.
As for the Kalinga hillock, petitioner Manoj Chhotray of Tapang had filed a similar case with the NGT alleging massive irregularities in stone quarrying in that area.
Similar to the Hatia case, Chhotray has claimed in his petition that Badri Narayan Bhujabal had been granted the lease to extract stones at the hillock while the environmental clearance was in the name of SJTA.
Bhujabal has been permitted to quarry up to 13,088 tonnes of stones from an area of 4.58 hectares monthly.
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