Bhubaneswar: Upon hearing two petitions on 24th October 2017, filed by Kahnu Charan Chhualsingh and Manoj Chhotray of Nijigarh Tapang Village in Khurdha district, NGT bench at Kolkata directed the Jagannath Temple Adminstration, Subollector Khordha and the Quarry operators to immediately stop quarrying of Hatia and Kalinga Hill in Tapang Mouza of Khurdha District.
NGT further directed the Secretary, Forest and Environment Department, Government of Odisha to inquiry into the illegalities in granting environment clearance to the quarries and file the report before 27th Novemeber 2017
Earlier NGT directed the State Pollution Control Board to inspect the site and submit report to the court.
The petitioners have alleged that the black stone quarrying operations in Hatia and Kalinga hill causing severe pollution and inconvenience to the local villagers.
District Collector, Khurdha, State pollution Control Board, District Environment Impact Assessment Authority, Tehsildar Khurdha, Jagannath Temple Administration, Superintendent of Police, Director of Mines, Controller of Explosives, have been arrayed as parties apart from the two private parties who are operating the quarry namely Anima Pahanatasingh and Badrinarayan Bhujabal.
To summarise the violation of environmental norms in operation of stone quarry in Hatia Hill as alleged by the petitioners in the petition, it may be listed as follows
a) No environment clearance in favour of the quarry operator the private respondent
b) Absence of dust control arrangements in loading and unloading areas
c) The over burden dumps are not being dressed , benched and barricaded so as to prevent solid erosion during monsoon
d) No provison of dust suppression system over mine haul roads, active OB dumps and mine working benches in order to reduce water consumption and to improve water retention and reabsorption capacity of water
e) No green belt developed along the periphery of mines
f) Excess mining than the permissible limit,
g) Non-demarcation of lease area
h) Mining beyond the extent of lease area
i) Commencement of mining without consent to establish and consent to operate
j) Plying of over loaded vehicles on RD road without approval from Rural Development department
k) Vehicles engaged in mining causing pollution and not covered with tarpaulin causing more pollution
l) Minor children are allowed to work in quarry
m) Illegal Use of explosives
n) Water bodies are being dumped/silted due to over burden of quarry
o) Surface mine water running into agricultural fields outside lease area
The advocate for the petitioner Mr. Sankar Prasad Pani informs that the next date of hearing is fixed for 27th Nov 2017
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