NGT Issued Notice, asked DFO and DM, Boudh to take action
Bhubaneswar: M/s. Boudh Distillery Private Limited has proposed to setup 2 x 60 KLPD Grain based Distillery plant along with 2 x 2.5 MW Co-generation Power Plant in Titrikata Mouza, Ramvikata of Boudh District. For the purpose of the Distillery Plant it requires 1200 cm of water to be taken from Mahanadi River through a pipeline of around 4km length that passing through four villages in 3.34acres of land including 1.47 acres of Forest Land with Gramya Jungle Kisam in revenue record and having physical forest.
The villagers of Fakir Pur, Titrikata, Bishnupur and adjoining villages are protecting the forest in their respective villages. Plot No 23 in Titerikata village is having area of 18.09acres of Gramya Jungle, similarly plot no 87 in Fakirpur Village is having 4.28acres and plot no 310 in the same village is having an area of 25acres of Gramya Jungle. Plot No 32 in Bishnupur Mouza is having 15.1 acres of Gramya Jungle which is being protected by the local villagers.
That despite of strong protest from villagers, the District Administration and Project Proponent with help of around 200 police personnel forcefully broke the forest land, dug out the land with help of earth movers and started the pipeline work over forest land on 28th December 2017
Challenging the illegal use of forest land, local villagers Jayant Dehuri, Nabina Mendili, dusasan Mahakud and Babula Mahar of Bishnupur, Fakirpur, Titrikata village have approached the National Green Tribunal, Kolkata.
Counsel for petitioners Sankar Prasad Pani pleaded that laying out the pipeline of around 4km length for supply of water from Mahanadi River to the unit of Boudh Distillery Pvt Ltd on forest land is carried out without approval from Central Government under Forest Conservation Act 1980. He further pleaded that the pipeline work be stalled and the pipeline be removed from the forest land. Petitioners in their application has prayed the court to take appropriate action against the district collector and other government officers for facilitating the illegal pipeline work on forest land.
While hearing the petition on 12th Jan, NGT has issued notice to DFO, SP and District Collector Boudh, Chief Secretary and Forest Secretary of Government of Odisha, Ministry of Environment and Forest government of India and private company Boudh Distillery Ltd. Further NGT directed the DFI and District Collector to verify the allegations made out in the petition and take appropriate action as per the law and file the report before next date. Further Tribunal has clarified that all the activities of the private company will be subject to outcome of the case. The next date is 9th Feb 2018.
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