The proposed cement grinding unit of the UltraTech Cement Ltd in Athagarh tehsil in Cuttack district has hit a hurdle as on Monday the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Kolkata issued a notice and sought reply from all parties within three weeks.
Villagers of Kolathppangi and Khamar Nuagaon namely Duryodhan Rout and four others have approached the NGT challenging the environmental clearance granted to the project in July 2018.
The cement company proposed to set up a grinding unit with production capacity of three MTPA and DG Set (2 x 6 MW) at Khamarnuagam and Kolthpangi in Athagarh tehsil in 2011. Due to tough resistance from the villagers, the project could not move ahead; and on November 3, 2018, the groundbreaking ceremony was done by the Chief Minister through videoconference.
On October 12, 2017, a public hearing for the project was scheduled but could not be held because of strong protest and a clash between two groups.
The villagers through their lawyer Sankar Prasad Pani have alleged in their petition that the grant of environment clearance is bad in law and non-application of mind because the clearance was granted without holding public hearing, non-consideration of objections from local public, inadequacies in EIA report about flora and fauna, cumulative impact of the project has not been assessed, presence of elephant and its pathway has not been considered, proximity to the village and school and human settlement, impact on ground water availability and other environmental parameters have not been considered while granting environmental clearance to the project.
On Monday, a NGT Bench comprising Justices SP Wangdi and Dr Nagin Nanda issued notices to the Odisha Forest and Environment Department Secretary, Cuttack Collector, Cuttack DFO, State Pollution Control Board Member Secretary, State Environment Impact Assessment Authority and UltraTech Cement to file their replies within three weeks and fixed the next hearing to December 10.