Cuttack, Aug. 10: The district administration has formed a special squad to check dumping of garbage on the Mahanadi and Kathajodi riverbeds following an order by the National Green Tribunal.

On July 15, the tribunal directed the administration to prevent the civic body and others from dumping debris and solid waste on the riverbeds. The squad, which includes the regional transport officer, the executive engineers of both Mahanadi south and north divisions, and officials from the Odisha State Pollution Control Board, will ensure that garbage is not dumped into the rivers.

"The squad will conduct daily checks and anybody found violating the order, including the civic body or private contractors, will be penalised," said collector Nirmal Chandra Mishra.

Sources said the squad had been instructed to conduct surprise raids on the embankments of both the rivers twice a day and submit a daily report to the administration.

The district administration has also asked officials of the water resource department to lodge FIRs against those who disrupt implementing the order.

The National Green Tribunal's eastern zone bench heard a petition filed by environment activist Biswajit Mohanty over the threat of pollution to Kathajodi and Mahanadi. It expressed concern about the dumping of waste on the riverbeds and ordered the civic body not to use the site to dump solid waste and rubble.

The dumping of debris has lowered the height of the embankments of the rivers, thus severely increasing the threat of flood, Mohanty said in his petition.

Cuttack regional transport officer Dipti Ranjan Patra told The Telegraph that vehicles dumping sand, solid waste, debris and other waste material in any part of the riverbed would be penalised.

"We will consider the vehicle as engaged in illegal transportation and the driver or owner concerned will be fined a minimum Rs 2,500. The fine amount will increase if the vehicle doesn't have the required documents, including fitness certificate," Patra said.

Civic body officials also claimed that officials of the Japan International Co-operation Agency-assisted integrated sanitation project had already been told to stop dumping debris on the Mahanadi embankments near Gadagadia ghat and bali yatra ground.

"We are happy with the tribunal's order. There was a need to stop the practise, which was obstructing the natural course of both the rivers," said local resident Ramesh Sahu.