The Rail Vikash Nigam limited (RVNl) was show-caused by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) over its Angul- Sukinda railway project for flouting environmental laws.
The RVNl is constructing a railway line named Angul-Duburi-Sukinda railway link that runs from Baghuapal of Jajpur to Budhapank of Angul having a distance of 97 km. It is alleged that now the construction of the earth bed is going on rapidly by two contractors, Wood Hill Construction ltd and Hillway Construction Company, Bhubaneswar.
The petitioner upon querying the Government authorities under the RTI Act could find that the contractors have used and are using huge quantity of soil/earth/morrum by extracting from nearby lands adjoining to the railway line which are under Kamakhyanagar and Parjang tehsil of Dhenkanal district without any permit from the Tehsildars. The RTI information further reveals that the earth/morrum has been extracted from forest land in Siarimalia, Muktaposi, Kharianali mouza in Prajang tehsil
RTI activist Sashee Bhoosan Patnaik of Keonjhar approached the National Green Tribunal, Kolkata over the issue. The petitioner alleged that around 20lakh cubic metres of soil have been extracted in two tehsils without any environment clearance from the District Environment Impact Assessment Authority, Dhenkanal as required for extraction of all minor minerals. No permits or leases have been sanctioned in favour any of the respondents and contractors.
Further he has alleged that because of soil mining, many of the old and mature trees have been uprooted leading to deforestation.
Upon hearing, the tribunal issued notice to all 19 respondents including RVNl and its contractors, Dhenkanal Collector, Revenue Secretary, Member Secretary Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India, to file their replies by October 26. The tribunal has directed the district Collector Dhenkanal to inspect the site and furnish a report.
However, as nobody appeared on behalf of the State Government on November 26, the NGT again issued notice to the district Collector, Dhenkanal. The next date of hearing was fixed for November 21.