NGT forms panel to look into 'environmental damage' in Odisha's Sikharchandi Hill

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal has formed a committee to ascertain the factual position regarding the alleged environmental damage in Odisha's Sikharchandi Hill due to construction activities.

The tribunal also directed that the Sikharchandi Hill project be “held in abeyance” till the next date of hearing.

The NGT was hearing a petition claiming environmental damage by construction works, including earth moving, blasting of rocks, and felling of trees in Sikharchandi Hill, a part of Chandaka wildlife division in Khurda, Odisha.

Noting the material before the tribunal, a bench headed by chairperson Justice A K Goel said, “prima facie” it appeared that the project was in violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act and could result in damage to the bio-diversity, especially of the rare and endangered medicinal and wild plant species.

So, the tribunal's intervention was necessary to prevent further damage and for the restoration measures after independent verification of facts, the bench, also comprising judicial members Justices B Amit Sthalekar and Arun Kumar Tyagi along with expert member A Senthil Vel, said.

“With a view to independently ascertain the factual position, we constitute a four-member joint committee to be headed by the Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF), of Bhubaneswar with other members being representatives of the Central Pollution Control Board, State Pollution Control Board and district magistrate, Khurda,” the bench said.

The committee has to meet within a week, besides undertaking site visits and interacting with the stakeholders. It has to ascertain the factual position, particularly with regard to the illegal felling of trees, loss of biodiversity, cutting of the hill and other damages, it said.

Further, a factual and action-taken report has to be submitted before the tribunal by July 3, the bench said.  “The committee may also get broad demarcation of the hill to determine permissible and non-permissible activities,” the tribunal said adding that “having regard to the irreversible consequences of the ongoing project, we direct that the project, in question, may be held in abeyance till next date of hearing”.

According to the petition, Sikharchandi Hill is a part of the Eastern Ghat mountains, which is extremely rich in bio-diversity with varied flora and fauna, with an abundance of rare species of wild and medicinal plants.  There was, however, no forest clearance for cutting trees, it claimed.  The matter has been posted for further proceedings on July 5.