New Delhi: The eastern zonal bench of National Green Tribunal on Friday formed a high-power technical committee to undertake necessary studies and steps to conserve unique sweet groundwater source in Puri and directed the committee to submit its first report on July 22.

"The bench has earlier passed several strictures to conserve the unique groundwater source in Puri, including passing directives to chief secretary of Odisha, but almost nothing happened on the ground and the continued uncontrolled extraction of groundwater has led to its increasing salinity," said petitioner Subhas Datta.

"I have pointed out that there has been little coordination within various responsible agencies and hence a high-power coordinating committee is required," Datta told The Telegraph.

The bench agreed to the demand of the petitioner and formed the technical committee comprising Odisha Water and Sewage Board, Central Groundwater Board, State Groundwater Board and both central and state pollution control boards.

The committee will monitor mode of extraction of groundwater, rainwater harvesting, sweet water distribution and setting up of desalination plants in Puri.

It will also test the quality of groundwater in Puri from several points.

The bench directed the state to provide all support to the committee.

The sweet water zone had been declared as protected by the British government in 1931.Subsequently in 2016, the Central Groundwater Board declared the natural groundwater recharge areas within Puri town - Chakratirtha (Balukhanda) and Baliapanda - as "protected zones".

The board barred "any kind of encroachment of land and/or construction of infrastructure in these areas" and also mandated that all using groundwater in Puri should "adopt artificial recharge measures through rooftop rainwater harvesting".

It had also ordered imposition of "restrictions on construction and installation of any new dug well or tube well" without prior permission from the Puri district collector. However, most of these directives remained in paper during the last few years.

During the hearing, the bench has also directed the Puri Konark Development Authority to develop an environment management plan for Puri to address the long standing environmental issues such as garbage management, drainage and sewerage, cremation at Swargadwar and beach beautification. The authority has also been asked to submit a progress report during next date of hearing.

"We will provide all help to the committee set up by the bench," said Papiya Banerjee Bihani, who represented the Odisha State Pollution Control Board in the hearing.