Confusion over the forthcoming Baliyatra in the city ended on Friday when the East Zone Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) gave a green signal to the organisers to go ahead with the week-long festival beginning from November 14 on the designated grounds, if the same are not located on the Mahanadi riverbed as was alleged in the original application (OA) filed before the NGT.
Following the NGT order, the Cuttack district administration resumed preparations for the historic festival allotting plots to traders to set up their temporary stalls on both the Baliyatra grounds. “We have resumed allotting plots on both the Baliyatra grounds (upper and lower),” informed Cuttack district Collector NC Mishra, adding that all steps would be taken to ensure that the river water is not polluted due to the festival.
The NGT on Monday, while adjudicating the OA filed by an environmentalist, had ordered the respondents, including the district collector, to consider avoiding allotting sites on the riverbed on the basis of information provided by the counsel of the petitioner. This NGT order created a ruckus as people apprehended that the festival this year would be cancelled.
The district administration, which was mulling to go on an appeal against the NGT order in the Supreme Court, however, late on Thursday night decided to approach the NGT Bench with a prayer to reconsider its Monday’s order and allow the Baliyatra.
The NGT Bench ordered that the matter would come up for further hearing on November 11 as was fixed earlier.