Order of the National Green Tribunal (Eastern Zone Bench, Kolkata) in the matter of Jitendra Kumar Pradhan Vs State of Odisha & Others dated 05/02/2024.

The matter related to an infrastructure company (Aditya Construction) engaged in various construction works and extracting earth/morrum from various places. It was alleged that the company was illegally lifting/extracting about 56100 cum of morrum in Jharsuguda district. The news about the illegal mining was published in the local Odia newspaper 'Prameya'.

The NGT directed the constitution of a fact finding committee to elicit the correctness of the allegations made comprising members from the Odisha State Pollution Control Board; Divisional Forest Officer, Jharsuguda; Director of Mines and Geology, Bhubaneswar, Khurdha and District Collector, Jharsuguda.

[2]

The committee shall inspect the site in question and submit its report within one month on affidavit with regard to the allegations made.