NGT imposes fine on Odisha govt for non-submission of report in illegal mining case

Bhubaneswar, Sep 3 (IANS) The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed fine on the Odisha government for failing to submit a report of the Odisha Remote Sensing Application Centre (ORSAC) in connection with a case related to the rampant illegal mining operations going on in Gondia area of Dhenkanal district.

“On February17, the tribunal while hearing the plea had directed the state government to file the ORSAC report with regard to the quantum of excavation. So that if the stone crushers are engaged in illegal excavation, then appropriate action as per law can be taken against them. However, the government failed to submit the report of ORSAC despite expiry of six months,” said Sankar Pani, the advocate representing the applicant, Youth United for Sustainable Environment Trust on Wednesday.

The state government has been asked to submit the said report to the commission and pay the fine amount of Rs 10,000 with the Secretary, Bar Association, NGT, Principal Bench, Delhi within one-month period.

It is pertinent here to mention that the applicant society raised the issue of the illegal mining in and around Nischinta Hill in Nihalprasad Mouza in Gondia Tahasil of Dhenkanal district.

It further accused that the illegal mining has been resulting in damages to the forest land as the Nischinta hill is a part of Nischinta Reserve Forest, which is a gross violation of the Forest Conservation Act.

In its complaint, the society drew the attention towards the presence of four illegal stone crushers in the forest land as reported by the Forest Range Officer, Sadangi Forest Range.

“The stone mafias are operating the stone quarry and crusher without any approval of the concerned authorities. That section 163 of BNSS 2023 is also imposed in these areas to curb the illegal mining of minor minerals from these areas,” alleged the society.

It also claimed that the prohibitory order is just an eye wash and illegal quarrying continues on a day-to-day basis and the same have been also published in leading Odia daily newspapers as well as few concerned citizens have brought it to notice of authorities in official social media handles and through email.

--IANS

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