NGT Team Visits Sikharchandi Hill In Bhubaneswar To Study Environmental Damage At Water Supply Project Site

Bhubaneswar: A special team of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) visited Shikharchandi hill in Bhubaneswar to take stock of the situation amid allegation that trees were felled in the area to give space to a water supply project.

The four-member team of the NGT arrived at the Sikharchandi development project site and went around the area to make an assessment of the ground position, sources said.

While undertaking site visit and interacting with the stakeholders, the team has to ascertain the factual position, particularly with regard to the illegal felling of trees, loss of biodiversity, cutting of the hill and other damages.

The team members were also accompanied by veteran Congress leader and MLA Suresh Routray and Khurda district collector. It may be noted here that the water supply project has been facing opposition from the local residents as well as environmentalists.

The NGT had recently directed that the proposed water supply project atop the Sikharchandi Hill, be kept in abeyance. It formed a committee to ascertain the factual position regarding the alleged environmental damage due to construction activities in the hill.

The green panel was hearing a petition claiming environmental damage by construction works, including earth moving, blasting of rocks, and felling of trees in Sikharchandi Hill, a part of Chandaka wildlife division in Khurda.

Ahead of the NGT team’s visit, Sikharchandi Anchalika Suraksha Samiti had objected to some ongoing activities in the area. The samiti wanted to know how the hill was cut without holding any public hearing meeting.

“Prima facie” it appeared that the project was in violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act and could result in damage to the bio-diversity, especially of the rare and endangered medicinal and wild plant species, the tribunal had observed.

So, the tribunal’s intervention was necessary to prevent further damage and for the restoration measures after independent verification of facts, it said.

With a view to independently ascertain the factual position, the panel constituted a four-member joint committee headed by the Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF), of Bhubaneswar with other members being representatives of the Central Pollution Control Board, State Pollution Control Board and Khurda district collector.

A factual and action-taken report has to be submitted by the committee before the tribunal by July 3, the NGT bench has said.