Paradip, Aug. 2: The National Green Tribunal has directed the Odisha State Pollution Control Board to furnish a compliance report on the alleged operation of a petroleum coke plant without prior environment clearance.

Responding to a petition by local people affected by the environment pollution caused by the Kalinga Calciner Limited plant, the tribunal's eastern zone bench in Calcutta passed the order on July 24, while asking the state pollution watchdog to see whether the plant was armed with the mandatory environmental clearance.

Petitioners' counsel Sankar Prasad Pani, quoting contents of the order (the copy of which is in possession of The Telegraph), said that taking note of the petition, the green body directed the board to carry out further inspection of the plant in the presence of the petitioners and furnish a compliance report.

The petroleum coke plant became operational in September 2014 without obtaining environment clearance and the board sanctioned consent for its operation in gross violation of environment law, the petition alleged.

"The unit, which has a capacity to produce 2,20,000 metric tonnes petroleum coke per annum, has perpetrated worst form of air and water pollution in the plant-side villages. It has endangered human lives. The plant, under no circumstances, should have been allowed to operate as it did not have environment clearance. As the safety of people is at stake, they have vowed to offer stiff resistance to the polluting unit," charged the petition.

People living on close periphery of the plant had drawn the tribunal's attention, charging that the private sector unit did precious little for the pollution control mechanism.

The plant site villagers at Udayabata on the outskirts of Paradip port are bearing the brunt of pollution as it has gone ahead with trial production without the Union environment and forest ministry's sanction.

The port's sole objective is to rake in profit while relegating the pollution and environment safety norms to the rear, the plant-side settlers charged.

Udayabata villager Brindaban Das said: "Air has got severely polluted after the plant started operations. Respiratory diseases have become common among the villagers."

The board's regional officer Prasant Kumar Kar said: "We would submit a compliance report with the tribunal as directed by it."