Judgement of the National Green Tribunal (Eastern Zone Bench, Kolkata) in the matter of Biswajit Mohanty Vs State of Odisha & Others dated 16/10/2017 regarding construction activity and reclamation of river bed, encroachment of river embankment, establishment of Labour Camps in river bed of rivers Mahanadi and Kathjodi at Cuttack, Odisha, and organization of Baliyatra and other programmes on Mahanadi river bed at Cuttack thereby affecting the river ecology and disturbing the river flow adversely.

NGT directs the District Administration of Cuttack to ensure that no construction debris/waste, municipal wastes etc. are illegally dumped on the river beds and all illegal encroachments of the river banks/beds of Mahanadi and Kathjodi at Cuttack shall be evicted by the District Administration and all illegal constructions on the river bank/bed shall be removed. NGT allows holding of Baliyatra festival to be held in the Balijatra field between Barabati Stadium & Gadagadia temple as well as in the silted-up alluvium space on north side of river embankment on the condition that the the distance of the river flow from the boarder of the extended site shall be a minimum of 50 m and the festival site shall be declared as Plastic Free Zone by the authorities as well.