Cuttack: The National Green Tribunal has set a one-month deadline for the ministry of environment and forests to complete its enquiry into alleged destructive activities and unscientific management of the Balda Iron mining project in Barbil area of Keonjhar district.

The tribunal's east zone bench in Calcutta had ordered a high-level enquiry on November 28 after a petition filed before it alleged non-compliance of environmental clearance conditions in the project area. The violation of the terms of environmental clearance had led to the obstruction of natural streams, underground water contamination and the unscientific management of mines overburden causing severe environmental hazard in the locality, the petition had alleged.

Two residents of Raisuan area in Keonjhar district - Ramachandra Mahant and Jeevan Kunar Nayak - filed the petition expressing concern over the environmental degradation and environmental pollution in the region due to the mining project undertaken by Serajuddin & Co and inaction of authorities concerned on the lapses.

The tribunal expected the ministry of environment and forests to enquire and submit a report on the veracity of the allegations on January 11. But, when the matter came up on Thursday, the ministry sought more time to enquire and submit the report.

"Allowing it, Justice S.P.Wangdi (judicial member) posted the matter to February 13 for hearing along with the ministry of environment and forests' report," petitioner counsel Sankar Prasad Pani said on Friday. "The state government and the State Pollution Control Board were also allowed time till then to file their affidavits in connection with the allegations by February 13."

The petition alleged that though mining operations had been undertaken by the private company in the Balda iron block since 1962 "no significant progress has been seen in the systematic mine closure and back filling of void pits".

According to the petition, the ministry of environment and forests had granted environmental clearance for expansion of the mining project on November 19, 2013. The private company had enhanced its production capacity from 4.5 million tonnes to 15.15 million tonnes per annum in 2014.

Unscientific dumping of over burden is leading to siltation of nallas and water bodies and discharge of untreated mine water is polluting the Betuli Nallah. Besides, required plantation activity had not been done, the petition alleged.

"Around 15,000 trucks engaged in transportation of minerals from the mines to the railway siding and other sites along the road pass through several villages. There has been acute vehicular pollution due to the transportation. Besides, the roads are also not being properly maintained and the dust pollution reduces the visibility leading to accidents and health hazards," the petition further alleged.

The petition has sought the tribunal's direction to the private company to maintain the overburden dumps, fix the accountability of public authorities for their inaction and allowing the private company to violate the environment norms, initiate criminal proceedings against them under the Environment Protection Act 1986 and impose exemplary penalty for violating the environment norms and causing pollution.