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New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
NGT seeks reply from state over ‘illegal' jetty in Chilika
CUTTACK: The East Zone Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Kolkata has issued notices to multiple authorities in Odisha over alleged illegal construction of a concrete jetty in the ecologically-sensitive Chilika lake by a private company. The bench comprising Justice B Amit Sthalekar (Judicial Member) and Dr Arun Kumar Verma (Expert Member), heard the petition filed by Maa Kalijaee Motor Boat Workers Union, represented by advocates Sankar Prasad Pani and Ashutosh Padhy. The petitioner society, a collective of traditional boat workers and fishermen, alleged that their community has been seeking construction of a government-sanctioned jetty to support tourism and fishing livelihoods. However, their demands were ignored while a private company began unauthorised construction of a concrete jetty on the banks of the lake at Garadwar in Khurda district . The bench observed that the matter warrants serious consideration and issued notices to the member secretaries of Odisha State Pollution Control Board, SCZMA, State Wetland Authority, chief executive of Chilika Development Authority, and the private company involved. All respondents have been directed to file counter-affidavits within four weeks. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on September 15. According to the petition, the construction violates provisions of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2019, as the site falls under CRZ-III A and CRZ-IV B categories, both highly regulated zones with specific restrictions. The CRZ-III A refers to densely populated rural areas where no development is permitted within 50 mtr of the high tide Line. The CRZ-IV B includes tidal water bodies and associated areas extending to the low tide line on opposite banks. The petition has also sought demolition of the illegal jetty and restoration of the site, along with exemplary cost imposition on the private company for environmental violations, including discharge of untreated sewage into Chilika lake. They alleged that no clearance has been issued for the Garadwar site by the State Coastal Zone Management Authority (SCZMA). The only CRZ clearance granted to the private company was for a floating jetty in Satapada in Puri district on the opposite side of the lake.
Time of India
6 days ago
- General
- Time of India
NGT takes note of illegal jetty construction on Chilika banks
Cuttack: National Green Tribunal ( NGT ), East zone bench, in Kolkata has taken cognisance of a petition filed by Maa Kalijaee Motor Boat Workers Union, alleging illegal construction of a concrete jetty at Garadwar in Khurda district on the banks of Chilika lake. The bench comprising Justice B Amit Sthalekar (judicial member) and Dr Arun Kumar Verma (expert member) has issued notices to the Odisha State Coastal Zone Management Authority (SCZMA), Odisha State Pollution Control Board, Wetland Authority, and Chilika Development Authority, along with the private company behind the project. The matter was heard on Aug 1. The petitioners, represented by advocates Sankar Prasad Pani and Ashutosh Padhy, alleged that the jetty is being built without CRZ clearance and violates environmental norms. The petitioner society represents traditional boat workers and fisher folk who have relied on Chilika lake for generations. After fishing rights were suspended in 2017, many of them turned to tourism for livelihood. They have been demanding construction of a jetty to support their work, but claim their pleas have been ignored. The petitioners pointed out that the construction site falls under CRZ-III A and CRZ-IV B zones, where stringent restrictions are in place under the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2019. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Online & Flexible degrees BITS Pilani Digital Apply Now They argued that while CRZ clearance was granted in 2022 for a floating jetty in Satapada (Puri district), no such permission exists for the ongoing construction in Garadwar. The petitioners had submitted a complaint to the Khordha district collector on April 11, 2025, demanding that work be stopped, but claimed that no action was taken. Protests were also reported at the site in May, followed by media coverage, but officials allegedly remained inactive. The bench noted that the issue merits serious consideration and directed all respondents of the notices to file their replies within four weeks. The matter has been listed for hearing on Sept 15. The petition has also sought directions for immediate halting of construction, demolition of the jetty, restoration of the site, and exemplary costs on the private firm for violation of CRZ norms and polluting the lake with untreated sewage. The disputed jetty is reportedly part of a Rs 14.67 crore luxury tourism project approved in principle by the Odisha govt in July 2024, featuring houseboats, cottages, a spa, and an adventure park.
New Indian Express
20-07-2025
- New Indian Express
NGT orders probe into illegal sand mining at Gunadei Brahmani river quarry
CUTTACK: The National Green Tribunal (NGT)'s east zone bench in Kolkata formed a fact-finding committee on Friday to investigate the allegations of illegal sand mining at Gunadei Brahmani river sand quarry in Dhenkanal. The order came in response to a petition filed by Talcher-based Youth United for Sustainable Environment Trust. The petition alleged large-scale violations of the Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines, 2016, at the quarry, which spans 11.80 acre in Gunadei village under Odapada tehsil. The Trust claimed that the project was continuing operations illegally, without the necessary Environmental Clearance (EC) transfer and in violation of conditions attached to the original EC granted in favour of the tehsildar on March 30, 2021. The bench comprising Justice B Amit Sthalekar and Dr Arun Kumar Verma, issued notices to the state government, SEIAA, State Pollution Control Board, MoEF&CC, and the lessee. The five-member fact-finding committee has been tasked to investigate the site and submit a report within three weeks. In the order, the bench noted the EC was liable to be revoked after May 2022 if a satisfactory Annual Rate of Replenishment Study was not submitted, a condition that remains unmet.
Hindustan Times
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
NGT directs Assam govt to clear 4200 ha of encroached forest land in Kamrup (M)
The Kolkata bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Assam government to remove encroachments from 4,240 hectares of forest cover in Kamrup (Metropolitan) district by the end of December next year, according to an order seen by HT. In the order issued last week, judicial member justice B Amit Sthalekar and expert member Arun Kumar Verma directed the Assam chief secretary and the principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF) to ensure expeditious compliance of the order and submit an action taken report on complete clearing of the area by December 31, 2026. 'Take expeditious steps for the removal of the encroachments and ensure that the entire area of 4240.04 hectare of encroached forest land in Kamrup (M) is cleared of all encroachments,' the order stated. The New Delhi bench of NGT had filed a suo motu application in November last year based on a news item that appeared in a Guwahati-based newspaper on this matter. It was later transferred to the eastern zone branch of NGT in Kolkata the same month. The news report mentioned that a substantial portion of forests in the district had been encroached upon, adding that the encroached area includes ecologically important hills such as Fatasil, South Kalapahar, Jalukbari, Gotanagar, Hengrabari, Sarania, and Garbhanga, which are within and the periphery of Guwahati, the largest city in the northeast. In March this year, Assam's principal chief conservator of forest and head of forest force filed an affidavit, stating that Kamrup (M) district has 12 reserved forests covering an area of 28,380.09 hectares, of which about 4,240.40 hectares is under encroachment. It mentioned that the encroachments are mainly in South Kalapahar, Fatasil, Hengrabari, Gotanagar, Garbhanga, Marakdola, West Apricola and Matapahar reserved forests. The affidavit added that from 2022-23 to 2024-25 a total of 21 eviction drives were conducted in those areas and around 3.5 hectares of forest land were cleared. 'Certain encroachment drives are stated to have been carried out, but the land which has been recovered from the encroachers comprises a minuscule percentage of the total land under encroachment, which renders such anti-encroachment drives completely futile,' the NGT observed in its order. Citing previous Supreme Court orders on such issues, the NGT bench directed the Assam government to clear the entire encroached area by the end of 2026 and disposed the application.
Hindustan Times
17-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
National Green Tribunal halts ecotourism at Odisha's highest peak Deomali
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has halted ecotourism at Deomali, the highest peak in Odisha in the Koraput district, and ordered the state to secure clearance under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, for structures built for it within three months or demolish them and restore the land. NGT's eastern zonal bench of Justice B Amit Sthalekar and Arun Kumar Verma said 10 cottages for tourists with dining halls and dormitories, and other constructions lacked permissions. 'If the required approval is not obtained within the stipulated time, erected shall be removed, and the area shall be restored to its original form. In any case, no diversion of the land in question shall be made for non-forestry purposes, and the respondents [state and the Union governments] shall ensure strict compliance with the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, read with the Forest Rights Act, 2006,' the bench said. The bench directed maintenance of a 1.5-2 hectare pine plantation. Deomali, a mountaintop tableland in the Eastern Ghats range, is 5,486 feet above sea level. The Wildlife Society of Orissa (WSO), a non-profit organisation, moved the NGT against the constructions, arguing they flouted sustainable development principles. Lawyer Sankar Prasad Pani, who represented WSO, said any non-forest activity in the area requires prior approval under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. 'If the land is not a notified forest and is devoid of trees and vegetation, as is the stand taken, the DFO [divisional forest officer] would have no role in issuing a tender notice for civil works,' said Pani. The Koraput DFO submitted that the ecotourism project site does not fall within any notified forest block or recorded forest land as per the government records, and it is not identified as deemed forest. The NGT was unsatisfied with the submission and said the question arises as to why village level meetings were held for the formation of Van Surakhya Samiti if the state's stand is to be accepted. 'If the land in question was revenue land, the procedure as prescribed under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, would have had no application or necessity,' the bench said. The Deomali project is part of the Union government's Swadesh Darshan Scheme for infrastructure development to boost tourism. The tourism department has separately sanctioned ₹16 crore for the integrated development of the area. There is also a proposal for an ecotourism complex at an estimated cost of about ₹4.5 crore.
