Paradip: Orissa High Court has asked the Jagatsinghpur district administration furnish a compliance report on the alleged occupation of wetland sites by a private carbon manufacturing company in Paradip.

The unit was also accused of perpetrating air and water pollution, adversely affecting the lives of people living in nearby villages.

The high court asked the government agencies to furnish compliance reply regarding land grabbing and pollution aspects within three months, petitioners' counsel Shankar Prasad Pani said.

On May 6 last year, the Jagatsinghpur district administration had shut down the Kalinga Calcner Limited, a private carbon manufacturing unit near Paradip, following a defiance of closure order issued to it by the State Pollution Control Board.

The company unlawfully grabbed a wetland connected to the nearby Bata water-body.

The occupation of the natural water body and erecting a concrete barrier had adversely impacted the ecology of the area.

Besides, the unit also discharged industrial waste into the neighbouring Bata creek, the petition alleged.

Earlier, cracking whip on the industrial unit for flouting pollution norms, the National Green Tribunal's eastern zone bench had directed Odisha State Pollution Control Board to shut down the carbon-manufacturing unit.

Following the order, the unit had been shut down last year by disconnecting electricity to the plant.

The administration is intent on curbing environment pollution. Abiding by high court order, the administration will investigate the alleged land grabbing by the unit, said Paradip additional district magistrate Kanhu Charan Dhir.

The private sector unit was earlier found guilty of contravening the provisions of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.

The company had been asked to close down its operations and furnish a compliance report to the SPCB without delay.

But the plant had been shut down as it had failed to furnish compliance report, said State Pollution Control Board Paradip regional officer Mukesh Mahaling.