CUTTACK: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered a joint investigation into claims of illegal sand mining and environmental violations at a sand quarry along the Rushikulya River in Ganjam district, directing key state authorities and regulatory bodies to respond.
The NGT’s east zone bench issued the order during a hearing on a petition submitted by Tuna Das and Rajani Kanta Padhy on May 26, which highlighted significant irregularities in mining activities at the Bhimpur sand bed covering 10.425 acres in Purushottampur tehsil. The decision was published online on Monday.
The petitioners requested the cancellation of environmental clearances and operating consents issued to a private lessee, alongside demands for criminal action, environmental compensation recovery, and a thorough assessment of the sand extracted from the site. Advocates Sankar Prasad Pani and Ashutosh Padhy represented the petitioners via video conferencing.
The judges, Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member Ishwar Singh, recognized that the allegations raised “substantial questions related to environmental concerns.” They established a committee with members from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB), and the Ganjam administration.
This committee has been tasked to visit the site, investigate the claims, engage with stakeholders, and recommend actions within a month. The district magistrate of Ganjam will serve as the nodal officer for coordination.
Additionally, the tribunal issued notices to the chief secretary, Ganjam collector, deputy director of mines, Purushottampur tehsildar, OSPCB, SEIAA, ORSAC, and the lessee, instructing them to provide responses within one month. A follow-up hearing is scheduled for July 23.
The petition claims that the lessee has been operating excavators and heavy machinery for mining despite prohibitions against mechanized sand extraction. It was alleged that mining activities exceeded the approved lease area, spreading over approximately 48 acres, including zones at Ashoknagar and Burutulu. The petitioners contend that such excavations have altered the river’s natural flow and contravened the Sustainable Sand Mining Guidelines, 2016, and the Enforcement and Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining, 2020, among other environmental regulations.
Concerns were raised regarding the supposed lack of GPS-based vehicle tracking, CCTV surveillance, and electronic transit pass systems mandated by mining regulations. Furthermore, it was stated that overloaded trucks transporting sand via village roads contributed to dust pollution and disrupted the lives of local residents.
