Cuttack, April 22: The National Green Tribunal has ordered a probe by the Odisha State Pollution Control Board into the operation of a stone quarry and two crusher units in Bandha hill area in Keonjhar.

The tribunal ordered the probe on a petition that alleged that blasting by illegal use of explosives in the stone quarry had caused about 260 minor and major cracks in houses and also led to collapse of a boundary wall.

Kula Pradeep Sahu and five others filed the petition alleging that the two crusher units operating in the quarry area were polluting the area causing serious health hazard.

"The tribunal posted the matter to May 18 for hearing along with the report of the state pollution control board," said petitioner counsel Sankar Prasad Pani.

"We direct the pollution control board to inspect the stone quarry and crushing units and verify the records to ascertain the validity of the allegations and submit a report," NGT eastern zone (Calcutta) bench of Justice S.P. Wangdi and Ranjan Chatterjee said in its April 19 order.

A private party was granted the lease of Bandha stone quarry for mining of road metal over 20 acres in Anandpur of Keonjhar for five years from 2016 .

The petition contended that the leaseholder was operating without environmental clearance and consent of the pollution control board. Two crusher units operating in the quarry area are within 200m from NH-215 and within 500m from human habitation as well, in violation of the state government's stipulation for such establishments prescribed in its August 6, 2010 order.

"The quarrying is going on without the approval of palli sabha," the petition alleged.