NGT seeks replies on illegal river water use, effluent discharge | Bhubaneswar News

Cuttack: National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought responses from Odisha govt authorities, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and a private aluminium manufacturing company on allegations of illegal river water extraction and discharge of untreated industrial effluents into Bheden river in Jharsuguda district.Taking cognisance of a petition filed by Jharsuguda district resident Shuvadendu Panda, the NGT’s east zone bench comprising judicial member Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member Ishwar Singh observed that the allegations warranted examination under environmental laws and admitted the matter for hearing. The tribunal’s July 28 order was uploaded on Tuesday.“Prima facie, the averments made in the application raise substantial questions relating to environment arising out of the implementation of enactments specified in Schedule-I to the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010,” the bench observed after hearing advocates Sankar Prasad Pani and Ashutosh Padhy appearing on behalf of the petitioner.The tribunal directed issuance of notices to the additional chief secretary of the water resources department, Jharsuguda collector, senior irrigation department officials and the CPCB. Counsel Papiya Banerjee Bihani accepted the notice on behalf of Odisha State Pollution Control Board. The bench also ordered that notice be served on the private company through the Jharsuguda collector and directed all respondents to file their replies at least a week before the next hearing scheduled for Oct 5.The petition alleged that the company had been extracting water from Bheden without obtaining permission from the department of water resources (DoWR) and had obstructed the river’s natural flow by constructing temporary embankments using sand, earth and demolition waste.It further accused the company of releasing untreated wastewater into the river in violation of pollution control norms.The petitioner contended that the large-scale withdrawal took place during peak summer when surrounding villages were facing acute drinking water shortages. The inspection report also allegedly recorded temporary sand and earth bunds blocking the river’s free flow.The plea further claimed that inspecting officials noticed a large outlet pipeline discharging dark, foul-smelling wastewater directly into the river, allegedly breaching Odisha State Pollution Control Board norms and the prescribed “zero effluent discharge” policy.According to the petition, a joint inspection conducted on April 16 this year after complaints from local residents found a temporary pump house on the riverbank equipped with six 40-HP heavy-duty pumps drawing water without any legal agreement or authorisation from the DoWR. The inspection team also allegedly found that no flow meter had been installed to measure the quantity of water being extracted.