Cuttack: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the collector and the SP to ensure halt to illegal stone quarrying at the Hatia and Kalinga hills at Tapang in Khurda district and file a compliance report.
The NGT's east zone bench in Calcutta issued the fresh direction on Monday after it was alleged that quarrying for black stone was ongoing at Hatia and Kalinga hills despite the tribunal orders to stop it. The NGT directed the Khurda sub-collector to immediately stop quarrying operations at the two hills on October 24.
The interim order was issued on a petition alleging violation of environmental norms in operation of the two stone quarries, causing severe pollution and inconvenience to local villagers. Kahnu Charan Chhualsingh and Manoj Chhotray, both residents of Nijigarh, filed the petition.
Black stone chips are essentially used as a construction material. The district environment impact assessment authority grants the environmental clearance for such operations. While posting the matter to November 27, the NGT had directed the forest and environment secretary to probe into the apparent foul play in process to grant environmental clearance for quarrying at the two hills and submit a report by then.
But when the matter came up on Monday, four weeks time was sought on behalf of the secretary to submit the inquiry report. "The NGT posted the matter to February 2 for further hearing, along with the compliance report of stopping quarrying operation and inquiry report of the secretary," petitioner counsel Sankar Prasad Pani said.