Dharmasala, July 31: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notice to Odisah government on alleged large-scale illegal mining beyond lease area at the Dankari stone quarries under Dharmasala tehsil in Jajpur district.
Hearing a petition filed by Talcher-based United Youth for Sustainable Environment Trust, the NGT’s East Zone bench in Kolkata issued the notice on Monday and sought reply from the respondents within four weeks.
The excavations beyond the operation area by felling of trees in reserve forest areas is causing damage to minor irrigation project, and endangering life and livestock of local residents, the trust president Santanu Kumar Bhukta alleged in the petition.
Hearing the petition, the bench of B Amit Sthalekar (Judicial Member) and Arun Kumar Verma (Expert Member) observed that “the matter requires consideration” and posted the matter to September 13 for further hearing along with the replies of the respondents.
The respondents included member secretary Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB), member secretary State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), deputy director of mines (Jajpur), district collector, Jajpur and tehsildar (Dharmasala), additional chief secretary, Water Resource department and the private lessee.
The petition has sought direction to ban quarrying of stones within 500 metre of structures, bridges, dams, weirs, groundwater extraction points, water supply head works, extraction points for irrigation and any other cross drainage structures.
The petition also sought direction to the director of Mines and Geology to assess the extent/quantum of minor minerals including black stone excavated illegally and its market value, cost of restitution, environmental compensation, and recovery from the private lessee and direction to SEIAA and SPCB to withdraw the environment clearance.
Notably, tenders were floated for 15 stone quarries in Dankari out of 16 and nine lease holders have signed agreement with the district administration. However, illegal mining is going on in other quarries.
