New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the Odisha government, Cuttack Collector and others while hearing a petition alleging construction work by the administration on Mahanadi and Kathajodi riverbeds in violation of environment norms.
A bench of the tribunal comprising Judicial Member B Amit Sthalekar and Expert member Saibal Dasgupta asked the respondents to submit their counter affidavits, within four weeks, specifying whether they have complied with the direction issued by the NGT earlier.
The tribunal also directed the Cuttack district Collector to file an affidavit explaining why the order of the green body has not been complied with and why six months’ monthly reports have not been filed.
Significantly, environment activist Biswajit Mohanty had moved the NGT alleging that in spite of the order of the tribunal dated October 2017, the district administration is establishing a park, parking area, approach road and re-cleaning of Mahanadi riverbed and thereby occupying 421 acres of land for beautification project in the name of ‘Baliyatra River Front Improvement Project’.
The applicant also claimed that a new campus of the SCB Medical College and Hospital has been established on Mahanadi riverbed in violation of environmental norms.
Significantly, the tribunal had in October 2017 directed the Cuttack district administration to ensure that no construction debris, municipal waste are illegally dumped on the riverbeds. The tribunal had asked to take strict action against the violators.
The tribunal had also asked the district administration to evict all illegal encroachments on the river banks/beds of Mahanadi and Kathjodi at Cuttack and file an action-taken report in every six months in the Registry.
While allowing Baliyatra festival on the stretch between Barabati stadium and Gadagadia temple (upper ground), the NGT had put certain restrictions in order to save the riverbeds. The green body had asked the administration to ensure that the distance of the river flow from the border of the extended site remains at least 50 metres. It had also asked the administration to declare the festival site as a plastic-free zone. The tribunal had also directed the authorities to restore the Baliyatra site completely by the ninth day of the commencement of the festival.
