Cuttack: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the state government to immediately stop black stone quarrying operations in Tapang area of Khurda district.

The NGT has also ordered a high-level probe on the alleged illegalities in granting environmental clearance for quarrying for black stone at Hatia and Kalinga hills in Tapang, around 30km from Bhubaneswar.

Black stone chips are essential construction materials. The District Environment Impact Assessment Authority (DEIAA) grants the environmental clearance for quarrying black stones.

NGT's east zone bench in Calcutta issued the orders on Tuesday after a petition alleging violation of environmental norms in operation of the two stone quarries that are causing severe air pollution and inconvenience to local villagers.

Kahnu Charan Chhualsingh and Manoj Chhotray - both residents of Nijigarh village in Tapang - filed the petition.

The tribunal had earlier directed the Odisha State Pollution Control Board to inspect the quarrying sites and submit a report to it.

were also sought from the DEIAA and the two private parties operating the quarries on lease.

"The bench of judicial member Justice S.P. Wangdi and expert member Justice P.C. Mishra posted the matter to November 27, while directing the secretary of forest and environment department to probe into the apparent foul play in the process of granting the environmental clearance for quarrying operations at the two hills and submit a report by then," petitioner counsel Sankar Prasad Pani said.

"In the interim, the bench directed the sub-collector of Khurda to immediately stop quarrying operations at Hatia and Kalinga hills," Pani said.

The petitioners alleged that the lease area had not been demarcated and excess mining than the permissible limit was being done along with plying of over loaded vehicles on roads in the area without any approval of the rural development department.

Vehicles engaged in movement from the mines were not being covered with tarpaulin either, which was causing heavy air pollution.

The petitioners had further alleged that absence of dust control in loading and unloading areas and dust suppression system over mine haul roads, and active open blast dumps resulted in silting up of nearby water bodies. Besides, surface mine water was running into agricultural fields outside the lease area.