NGT notice to Railway on Jakhpura siding pollution

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a show-cause notice to the East Coast Railway (ECoR) asking it to clarify why huge cost would not be imposed for causing pollution in the Jakhpura railway siding area.The NGT issued this notice on August 5 while hearing a petition filed by Aswini Kumar Dhal in this regard. It observed that the ECoR should have taken consent from the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) for operation of the railway siding unit.

The OSPCB has also filed an affidavit stating that the unit has been issued a closure notice. The tribunal has directed the ECoR to fix the responsibility upon the officer who operated the railway siding unit without consent from the pollution board.Appearing on behalf of the petitioner, advocate Sankar Prasad Pani argued that the Jakhpura railway siding has not installed any preventive and mitigating measures to arrest pollution caused due to handling coals and minerals at the stack yard and it has not followed required guidelines.

The petitioner had prayed for closure of the railway siding and sought restoration of the damage caused to agricultural land and water bodies because of the pollution in the area, including Jakhpura village.Further, the NGT wanted that the railway siding should stop operation till consent to operate is granted by the OSPCB. Next date of hearing has been fixed for September 10.