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The National Green Tribunal's Eastern Zone Bench, Kolkata, on 26 May 2026 admitted a petition alleging the illegal operation of a brick kiln and unauthorised clay mining in Village Ambakuduchi, Tahasil Basta, District Balasore, Odisha. The applicant, Rajanikanta Jena, contends the unit operates without environmental clearance or pollution board consent, causing serious harm to local residents. The bench has constituted a joint committee comprising the CPCB, OSPCB, and the District Magistrate, Balasore, to inspect the site and submit a report within one month. The matter is next listed on 23 July 2026.
The National Green Tribunal's Eastern Zone Bench at Kolkata admitted a petition on 26 May 2026 alleging the illegal operation of a brick kiln and unauthorised extraction of brick clay earth in Village Ambakuduchi, Tahasil Basta, District Balasore, Odisha, directing a joint committee to inspect the site and recommend remedial action. The bench comprised Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi, Judicial Member, and Ishwar Singh, Expert Member.
The applicant, Rajanikanta Jena, approached the tribunal under Sections 14, 15, and 17 read with Section 18 of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, alleging that a private party had established and was running a brick kiln over Khata No. 192, Plot No. 688, Mouza Ambakuduchi, without obtaining an environmental clearance from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority, Odisha, or a Consent to Establish and Consent to Operate from the Odisha State Pollution Control Board. The applicant further alleged that the unit was causing serious environmental degradation and pollution in the surrounding area, with local villagers bearing the brunt of its continued operation.
The reliefs sought by the applicant included directions to the District Collector, Balasore to demolish the brick kiln units and seize baked bricks at the site. He also sought orders compelling the private respondent to restore the land to its original condition, the imposition of environmental compensation calculated under the CPCB formula established in the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti case, and the fixing of individual accountability upon the Tahasildar of Basta, the District Collector, and the Odisha State Pollution Control Board for alleged inaction on prior public complaints.
The bench, upon examining the material on record, held that the averments raised substantial questions relating to the environment under Schedule I of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, and issued notice to all respondents. Counsel for the Odisha State Pollution Control Board and the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority, Odisha, appeared during the hearing itself and accepted notice on behalf of their respective bodies.
Noting the seriousness of the allegations, the bench constituted a joint committee comprising representatives of the Member Secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board, the Member Secretary of the Odisha State Pollution Control Board, and the District Magistrate, Balasore. The committee has been directed to convene within two weeks, conduct a physical inspection of the site, engage with both the applicant and the representative of the concerned project proponent, and recommend appropriate remedial steps. The District Magistrate, Balasore has been designated as the nodal agency for co-ordination and compliance, and the committee's report is due within one month of receipt of the order. All respondents have been granted six weeks from the date of service of notice to file their responses. The matter is listed for further hearing on 23 July 2026.
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