NGT asks chief secy to probe ‘security lapse' in cracker blast at Puri yatra
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
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Approval issue: Plaint against Cacora sewage treatment plant dismissed
Panaji: The Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (Goa-SEIAA) dismissed a complaint filed by a political party against the Cacora sewage treatment plant (STP). The authority stated that the project does not fall under its purview and, therefore, does not require prior environmental clearance (EC). The complaint was filed by Revolutionary Goans, based on which the Goa-SEIAA asked the Sewerage and Infrastructural Development Corporation of Goa to submit its response. The authority noted that the 7.5 MLD capacity plant being constructed near the Hodar bridge was sanctioned by the Union jal shakti ministry and that its construction started after obtaining all the necessary permissions, including CRZ clearance. 'Regarding the allegations made by RG pertaining to violating the EIA Notification 2006 and the NGT order, the authority noted that standalone STPs don't require prior environmental clearance. The authority also noted that the NGT order specifically pertains to common effluent treatment plants, which differ from sewage treatment plants that handle domestic sewage,' the Goa-SEIAA said in its order. 'Moreover, the NGT confirmed that STPs are not covered under the EIA Notification 2006 and therefore don't require prior EC,' the authority said. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
New Indian Express
4 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Delhi Police seize 112 rolls of banned Chinese manjha in separate incidents
In another incident on Tuesday, police were acting on information regarding the storage and sale of Chinese manjha in Delhi, which is prohibited due to its fatal impact on human life and the environment. They allegedly discovered that Harsh had stored such manjha at his residence and was selling it to acquaintances. A raid was conducted around 6.30 a.m., during which Harsh was found holding a white plastic bag containing 25 rolls of banned manjha, which were seized, police said. A case has been registered. Harsh allegedly disclosed that he had procured the manjha from one Raman, who resides in the same locality. In the third incident, the Crime Branch apprehended Rajiv and seized 60 rolls of banned Chinese manjha. A police officer said, 'We keep telling people that using and selling Chinese manjha is banned in the national capital as it can lead to severe injury and also deaths.' The Chinese manjha was banned in Delhi in 2017, and the National Green Tribunal also imposed a similar ban on nylon or synthetic threads used for kite flying. These bans were put in place to prevent harm to humans, birds, other animals and the environment.
Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Changing track on pollution
The Supreme Court's decision on Tuesday to halt coercive action against owners of so-called end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) is more than just a procedural breather: It's a much-needed shift away from an unscientific, punitive approach that has bothered motorists for nearly a decade. The court has agreed to revisit its own 2018 order, which upheld the National Green Tribunal's 2014 directive banning diesel vehicles over 10 years old and petrol vehicles over 15 from the roads in the National Capital Region. In doing so, it has given space to discuss a valid argument: Emissions, rather than age, should be the yardstick of a vehicle's roadworthiness. There is no data-based evidence proving that every diesel vehicle over 10 years old is uniformly more polluting than a newer one. (Hindustan Times) On paper, the logic of the original ban appeared to be straightforward — older vehicles are presumed to pollute more. But such a presumption is a poor substitute for scientific rigour. There is no data-based evidence proving that every diesel vehicle over 10 years old is uniformly more polluting than a newer one. In fact, many such vehicles have low annual mileage, are well maintained, and meet pollution under control (PUC) norms. A vintage car that is taken out a few times a year may be cleaner over its lifetime than a modern SUV driven daily through Delhi's gridlock. The age-based ban is a blunt approach — easy to enforce, but scientifically questionable. The broader point is that Delhi's pollution crisis will not be solved through piecemeal measures. Targeting motorists while leaving far more damaging sources — industrial emissions, construction dust, biomass burning — largely untouched is selective enforcement. Such bans also disproportionately affect lower- and middle-income citizens for whom replacing a vehicle is a financial burden. They also ignore the environmental cost of scrapping and manufacturing — processes that consume vast energy resources. If the aim is cleaner air, the route must be a comprehensive, sector-wide strategy that marries technology with policy. Real-world emissions monitoring, expansion of clean public transport, mandatory retrofitting of high emitters, and investment in walkable and cyclable infrastructure must form the core. The role of the State is to create systems that are proactive, consistent, and rooted in science. The Supreme Court has now opened the door to establishing a more rational framework — one that focuses on pollution vehicles, not their birthdays. If the government can seize this moment to craft a broad-spectrum, evidence-based plan, Delhi could finally take a step towards solving its air crisis.
