Home / Environment / NGT Slams Odisha Pollution Board for Approving Railway Siding Near Schools
NGT Slams Odisha Pollution Board for Approving Railway Siding Near Schools
25 Jul
Summary
- NGT found multiple sensitive institutions within 100-130 meters of the railway siding
- Odisha Pollution Control Board granted approvals in violation of its own 2010 guidelines
- Railways not penalized as they did not mislead the board or secure approvals fraudulently
In a recent order, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has come down heavily on the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) for granting environmental clearance to a railway siding near dense habitation in Sambalpur district. The tribunal found that the siding was located dangerously close to multiple sensitive institutions, including a government primary school, a modern public school, and religious structures like the Maa Durga and Shiva temples.
The NGT bench, comprising Justice B Amit Sthalekar and Dr Arun Kumar Verma, expressed surprise at how the Consent to Establish and Consent to Operate were granted by the OSPCB in the first place, as the approvals were in gross violation of the board's own guidelines issued in 2010. However, the tribunal refrained from levying environmental compensation, noting that the siding was only operational for about a month and is currently non-functional.
The NGT has directed that no fresh consent shall be granted unless the railways fully comply with the 2010 guidelines. This comes after the railways submitted a fresh online application on August 12, 2024, seeking permission to handle 13,500 MT of coal per month at the site. The tribunal also clarified that any future statutory approvals must take into account the past violations reflected in the inspection reports and affidavits submitted by the OSPCB.
