NGT
issues notice to Govt on Suktel project
Monday, 25 May 2015 | PNS |
BHUBANESWAR | in Bhubaneswar
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The National Green Tribunal (NGT),
Kolkata has asked the Odisha Government and the Union Ministry of Environment
and Forest to file their replies within four weeks that why injunction will not
be granted in respect of the ongoing construction work of the Lower Suktel
Irrigation Project.
Upon hearing a petition filed by
Satya Narayan Banchhor, a project-affected person and secretary of the Lower
Suktel Budi Anchal Sangram Parisad and Balkrishna Sendha, Justice Pratap Kumar
Ray and Professor PC Mishra have issued notice to the State Water Resources
Development Department in this regard on Friday.
The petitioners contend that the
validity of environment clearance granted in 1998 has lapsed because of
non-commencement of construction work within five years of the granting of
environment clearance.
The department admitted in its
compliance report to the Ministry of Environment and Forest that the project
has started construction work only in April 20013. The petitioners further
contend that all the construction works going since 2013 are illegal and amount
to an offence under the Environment Protection Act 1986.
It is worthwhile to mention that the
Lower Suktel project is acquiring around 5,000 hectares of land including 637
hectares of forestland, 16 villages fully and 10 villages partly affecting
4,160 families.
The agitating villages have been
opposing the forceful land acquisition. Advocate Sankar Prasad Pani has
conducted the case at the NGT.
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