The District administration of Balasore was criticised by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for engaging in unlawful sand mining in the Subranarekha riverbed. An offender was fined Rs 1 crore by the panel, which also ordered the initiation of a FIR against the previous tehsildar of Basta.
As a temporary measure, the NGT ordered Rajesh Khatua from Jaleswar, Balasore to pay the Odisha Pollution Control Board (PCB) Rs 1 crore in environmental compensation within a month, pending SEIAA, Odisha’s final computation of environmental compensation.
“We further direct the Collector & District Magistrate, Balasore to lodge F.I.R against the Tahasildar, Basta who was the Tahasildar during the period 2017 to 2021 during which the illegal extraction of sand was carried out. Such F.I.R shall thereafter be carried to its logical conclusion. The Collector & District Magistrate shall also initiate departmental proceedings against the concerned Tahasildars in accordance with law,” the NGT order stated.
In 2021, the NGT ordered the state of Odisha to halt sand mining in the Subarnarekha River along with the Jaleswar Tehsil area till further instructions.
The order was given following the submission of the joint committee’s report, which was formed by the Tribunal to look into claims of environmental degradation caused by indiscriminate sand mining in Subarnarekha.
The unlawful and widespread sand mining in the area, according to the residents, has caused the water table to drop and the river’s path to change. Additionally, it is claimed that the approach road built inside the river is blocking its natural flow.
In addition, the residents had complained that the open trucks used to transport the mined sand were exposing them to air pollution.
Prasanta Patnaik