NGT Stay On Water Storage Project At Sikharchandi Hill In Bhubaneswar To Continue

Bhubaneswar: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has extended the stay imposed by it on the proposed elevated water storage tank project of Water Corporation of Odisha (WATCO) at Sikharchandi hill in Bhubaneswar.

The NGT had constituted a joint committee to look into allegations of damage to the environment around the hill on June 12 and issued an interim order for holding in abeyance the project till next date of hearing.

The tribunal passed the order on a petition filed by Sachin Mohapatra, a resident of the area alleging earth moving, blasting of rocks, and felling of trees undertaken as part of construction works for the project was damaging the environment.

The report of the joint committee was taken on record when it was placed before NGT’s East Zone bench in Kolkata on Wednesday. The bench of Justice B Amit Sthalekar and Dr Afroz Ahmad said that the interim order granted on June 12, 2023 will continue till the next date of listing which is July 27.

The bench has granted time till then to Bhubaneswar Development Authority’s counsel Dayananda Mohapatra to file counter affidavit and petitioner counsel Sankar Prasad Pani to file rejoinder affidavit by then.

As per the spot inquiry report, WATCO had claimed before the joint committee “there is an acute shortage of drinking water in the growing Bhubaneswar city. There is no such elevated area in the town where such water tank can be constructed utilising the gravity for supply of water. Nearly 4 lakh people (about 30 per cent of Bhubaneswar city) will be benefitted by the project”.

The committee in its report was stated to have mentioned that construction of water tank will not have significant effect on the environment and the proposed project does not require environment clearance.

However, the committee in the report observed that WATCO has not taken permission for felling of trees. Clearing of vegetation will make the soil vulnerable for erosion and this activity has resulted in removal of vegetation which was present in the site prior to clearing of the site. This needs to be compensated by plantation and soil conservation measures, it said.