The National Green Tribunal (NGT), eastern branch in Kolkata, has ordered the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (Osha State Pollution Control Board) to impose a penalty for environment damage on Subarnarekha riverbed operators in Balasore.
The green panel issued directions regarding a petition alleging illegalities in the quarrying operations along more than 10,000 hectares of the Subarnarekha Riverbed, Jaleswar Tehsil, Balasore.
Exceedingly mined was being done in excess of the permissible limit, which was exceeding the lease area. The wooden bridge and approach road have been built to block the river’s free flow. The petition stated that although manual mining was allowed excavators were being used in lifting the sand. This caused irreparable harm to the river bed.
The NGT had earlier established a four-member inquiry panel headed by Balasore the District Magistrate.
Because of the violation of lease terms, the tribunal ordered that no mining of sand be done until further orders were received. The green panel had previously ruled.
The mining of sand was illegal because it was done in excess.
We direct the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority, Odisha, to calculate the exact amount illegally mined sand and impose a penalty on the project proponent within two weeks.
We also direct the Odisha State Pollution Control Board, to investigate the environmental degradation according to their report and levy Environmental Compensation that may be recovered from project proponents within a period not exceeding two months. This was what the NGT members Amit SThalekar and Saibal Dasgupta commanded while disposing of the petition.