NGT asks chief secy to probe ‘security lapse' in cracker blast at Puri yatra
1
2
Cuttack:
National Green Tribunal
(NGT) has directed the chief secretary "to institute an inquiry" into the "grave security lapse" that led to the
firecracker explosion
killing 17 people and injuring 25 severely during Chandan Yatra in Puri on May 29 last year.In the order uploaded on Thursday, NGT's east zone bench further directed the chief secretary to "take appropriate action against those found guilty of gross negligence and lapse in taking proper security steps to prevent the occurrence of the incident in question".The bench comprising Justice B Amit Sthalekar (judicial member) and Dr Vijay Kulkarni (expert member) said, "For future, it is directed that no explosives of any kind shall be permitted in such religious functions where the swell of the crowd is not just in thousands but in several lakhs and even a small lapse can result in loss of lives of lakhs of people.
One cannot rule out that such an incident can even be triggered by ill-intentioned and anti-social elements using more lethal explosives other than mere firecrackers."NGT was hearing a petition filed by Sanjay Kumar Nayak (46), a resident of Aska in Ganjam district, seeking direction to the authorities to take steps to prohibit bursting of crackers during the rituals of Lord Jagannath in Puri. Advocates Sankar Prasad Pani and Ashutosh Padhy appeared in virtual mode on the petitioner's behalf.While ordering the probe, the bench said it was evident from the Puri collector's affidavit that no one noticed crackers being taken in a trolley and stacked at Dasa Tutha on the north-west corner of the Narendra Pokhari without permission from the competent authority. During Chandan Yatra on May 29, 2024, a cracker after being ignited hit the stack of crackers kept at Dasa Tutha, which led to all the crackers getting lit and causing a huge explosion."This clearly shows that there was gross dereliction of duty on the part of the district administration including the police authorities," the bench observed, adding, "The district administration and the police administration cannot be absolved of their negligence in such a grave security lapse." "In the instant case, it was stacking of firecrackers but one cannot rule out the possibility that it could have been something even more lethal resulting in a massive explosion causing extensive damage to the Lord Jagannath temple itself and loss of human life on a large scale," the bench also observed, while disposing of the petition."That apart, it cannot be ruled out that some offensive material could have been loaded on the trolley rickshaw and carried in the midst of the Chandan Yatra so as to offend the sensibilities of the devotees and thereby create a riotous situation," the bench said. It questioned why the district and police administrations didn't anticipate such an eventuality."The police swinging into action after the occurrence of the incident does not explain the lethargy and total inactivity and the requirement to be vigilant at all times particularly on the occasion of religious functions," the bench observed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
7 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
National Green Tribunal points out gaps in Uttar Pradesh govt report on STPs, sewage waste management
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has raised serious objections to the Uttar Pradesh government's report on the status of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and Sewage Waste Management (SWM) submitted to the tribunal. Directing the government to fill the gaps, a three-member bench of NGT comprising chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A. Senthil Vel passed the order on May 26. The tribunal also handed over a prescribed format to the state government in which details have to be submitted before the next hearing on July 28. 'Report dated 16.04.2025 filed on 24.5.2025 disclosing the status of solid and liquid waste management does not point out gaps plugged thereby not complying with SWM Rules, Water Act and order of the Supreme Court,' the tribunal said. Anomalies pointed out by tribunal Against disclosure of 95% waste processing facilities (19,014 TDP or tons per day), the quantity of segregated waste is 74% (14,884 TPD). This anomaly needs to be clarified. No clarification was given on the operation of waste processing plants without authorisation under the SWM Rules. The report discloses figures of waste generation in 762 local bodies, but does not reveal the actual waste processed by urban local bodies. The report says there has been 100% remediation of legacy waste at 60 sites but no material has been placed on record in support of this claim. Figures disclosed indicate 60 sites remediated and only 26 sites are left with legacy waste. Since, in other ULBs, waste processing facilities do not exist, specific disclosure of legacy waste in such ULBs should be pointed out. No disclosure has been made on the operational status of waste-to-energy plants. Legacy waste Legacy waste refers to accumulated solid waste that has been improperly collected and stored for an extended period, often in landfills or dumpsites. It is essentially a backlog of waste that was not managed effectively and has created a significant environmental problem. Sewage management In view of sewage generation of 5,500 MLD (million litres per day) and installed treatment capacity of 4,651 MLD (but treating only 3,122 MLD), the gap in treatment comes to 2,378 MLD. Untreated sewage is being discharged into the environment, which is evidenced by the disclosure that only 21.08 lakh households (HH) are connected to the sewerage system out of 52.17 lakh houses in 17 municipal corporations. STPs have been designed in excessive capacities compared to sewage generation in Agra, Bijnor, Anupshahar, Chirakoot Karwi, Pilkhuva, Kannauj, Bela, Pratapgarh and other cities. But many urban local bodies do not have STPs, including Bahraich, Banda, Deoria, Fatehpur, Gonda, Hathras, Sambhal and Bhadohi. THE CASE In 2018, the Supreme Court in the 'Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti & Anr. vs. Union of India & Ors' case issued key directions regarding environmental protection, particularly river pollution and industrial waste treatment. The top court made it compulsory for industries to install and maintain functional primary effluent treatment plants (PETPs) within a specific timeframe. SC directed the municipalities to operate existing STPs and established timelines for setting up of common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) and STPs. The apex court also emphasized on the responsibility of municipalities to ensure public health, sanitation, and solid waste management. The Supreme Court permitted Uttar Pradesh to approach NGT with an application regarding the feasibility of the time lines set by the top court. The NGT was tasked with monitoring compliance with the Supreme Court's directions.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Hate-speech: Cal HC judge gets death threats on X after denying bail to influencer
Kolkata: Multiple X handles have posted death threats to Calcutta High Court's Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee after the judge on Tuesday refused to grant interim bail to a social media influencer in a hate-speech case. The reply threads to these posts turned into a hotbed of vitriol as multiple posts hurled abuses at the judge. Most of these X accounts were pseudonymous and used unrelated images as display pictures. One user claimed that the judge deserved "unknown gunmen", while another said that "public should take care of him whenever he is spotted..." Some users sought the judge's address and phone number. Screenshots of Justice Chatterjee's courtroom were shared on X, at least one user posted the judge's bio (from the NGT website where he once served) and some users highlighted that the judge had been a student of Hooghly Mohsin College. Interestingly, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, the Bengali literary great who penned India's national song 'Vande Mataram', was once a student of the college. The deluge of threats prompted several X users to report these posts, by tagging Kolkata Police. Police commissioner Manoj Verma or joint commissioner of police (crime) Rupesh Kumar, however, did not respond to calls and texts by TOI. Speaking on the issue, Calcutta HC's registrar general Nabanita Ray said that the matter would be looked into after June 9, when the court opens after the vacation. Justice Chatterjee, during the case hearing on Tuesday, had observed: "In a country like ours, people of different faiths, communities and linguistic backgrounds coexist. Therefore, one should exercise caution when making any comments in the media or before the public. The Hon'ble Supreme Court, in a series of judgments, has condemned incidents of hate speech, dog whistling and making disparaging remarks that may hurt any section of the people of our country. " The Calcutta High Court had asked the state to produce the case diary on Thursday for the next vacation judge to examine the case before reaching a decision on whether the 4th-year law student could be given interim bail.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Where are the trees to compensate for those felled at altar of devpt projects, ask activists
1 2 3 Bhopal: As a city expands and develops in an 'unplanned' manner, with construction and infrastructure projects emerging everywhere, the green cover of the city is the first casualty. Bhopal is a prime example of this trend, as per experts and activists. And as the green cover, which was once the pride of Bhopal, vanishes, a question that attracts the attention of environmental activists and common residents alike is about the effectiveness of compensatory afforestation, which is required to offset the loss to green cover by any 'development' project. As against one tree felled, four trees are required to be planted by the person or agency given permission to cut trees by the municipal corporation. So where are those lakhs of trees that should've been planted over the years and why is green cover diminishing if these trees are being planted? These are questions to which authorities have no definite answers for, activists say. Only in the two latest road projects—the Kolar road project, under which permission to cut as many as 4,105 trees was given, and the 11 Mile to Bangrasia road project, under which cut 1,377 trees were cut, environmental activists point out irregularities. 'RTI Reveals Delay' Environmental activist Nitin Saxena, who moved the green watchdog NGT over the huge loss to the environment due to these projects because there was no compensatory afforestation, said, "We wish to know whether the site of afforestation has been decided for planting of trees and if the agency, which cut the trees, has deposited the amount required to undertake afforestation with the social forestry department, which was once a part of the Capital Project Administration (CPA). " Saxena said that the PWD, which executed the Kolar road project, was required to pay Rs 1.26 crore to the social forestry department for compensatory afforestation to get an NOC from the BMC for cutting 4,105 trees, but the NOC was issued to PWD without depositing the amount. Saxena added that he asked the BMC under RTI whether the requisite fund was deposited by the PWD for afforestation, and the reply was that a notice was issued to PWD in Jan to deposit the amount. "More than 4,000 trees were cut, and they are still corresponding with the PWD to get the money for compensatory afforestation. Mind you, the project began in 2022, and it's 2025," Saxena said. Saxena said that he moved the NGT asking the tribunal to check the cutting of trees for the 11 Mile to Bangrasia (Ratanpur road project), and the NGT on Jan 1, 2025, directed that trees should only be cut according to law and if necessary, but the cutting of trees continued, and now 700 trees are being cut for road and stadium construction at Neelbad. "Our question is why the BMC commissioner, who is the tree officer entitled to allow the cutting of trees, has delegated his powers to a subordinate officer, which he can't do according to the Tree Protection Act (urban), and only the state govt can do it," said Saxena. Govt Depts Pass Buck BMC commissioner Harendra Narayan, when contacted for comments, said, "Our tree officer is additional commissioner Devendra Chauhan. You talk to him; he will be able to give you information." Chauhan, when asked whether the PWD has deposited the amount for compensatory afforestation against trees cut in the Kolar project and where the trees have been planted, said, "We only give permission for cutting of trees only when the social forestry department gives us NOC after money is deposited. I don't know about the Kolar project, but it's a matter between two govt departments; it will be done. As far as the site of afforestation is concerned, it's for the social forestry department to plant trees and not BMC." DFIO, social forestry, Nidhi Chauhan, when asked the same question, said, "I will have to see. I am new to the post. I can't tell you offhand whether the money was deposited or not. As far as the site of compensatory afforestation is concerned, we do face problems in getting land for afforestation. Getting NOC from the revenue department for the purpose is difficult at times. As far as the number of trees that have to be planted, if the girth of the trees is 30 cm or more, four trees are planted against a tree felled, and if it's less than that, we plant two trees. " 'Act Silent On Compliance' Advocate Harpreet Singh Gupta, who has appeared in several cases concerning environmental damage due to trees felling, when asked if there is any punitive action, said, "Tree Protection Act applicable in MP is silent over the issue. Permission to cut trees is given subject to the undertaking that compensatory plantation would be done, but there is no reference to punishment if undertaking is not adhered to."
