Cuttack, July 29: Orissa High Court today imposed restrictions on the ongoing construction at Hadia Patha, a flood plain along Mahanadi river embankment close to Gadgadia ghat.

The construction work involves erection of an intake well and laying of pipelines for water supply to Indian Oil Corporation Ltd’s crude oil refinery and petrochemical complex at Paradip.

The court issued the interim order on a PIL expressing apprehension that the construction would pose a threat whenever Mahanadi was flooded. Nationalist Lawyers’ Forum secretary Nishikanta Mishra filed the PIL.

“After a preliminary hearing, the two-judge bench of Justice B.P. Das and Justice M.M. Das directed the Cuttack collector and the Cuttack Development Authority to take necessary steps to stop the construction work,” petitioner counsel Ghasiram Verma told The Telegraph.

“The court further directed the collector to submit a report on the nature of work undertaken at Hadiapatha and legality of the ongoing construction by August 12, the date fixed for next hearing on the PIL,” Verma said.

“Deputy commissioner of police, Cuttack, was also directed to take necessary action if any obstruction is posed in the way of stopping the construction work,” he added.

According to the petition, the state government had earlier planned to develop a green belt at the Hadia Patha to provide protection to Mahanadi embankment road. But subsequently, constructions work had been allowed.

In official parlance, the construction work involved an engineering project in which there would be three gates and two pre-settlement tanks where all the sand and debris would be collected and the clean water would then be pumped and carried through pipelines to Paradip.

The court interim order assumes significance as the Mahanadi Banchao Andolan had strongly opposed the ongoing construction work.