Order of the National Green Tribunal regarding destruction of agricultural land due to diversion of a sewerage line, Belpahar, Jharsuguda, Odisha, 18/06/2021
Order of the National Green Tribunal (Eastern Zone Bench, Kolkata) in the matter of Nabin Kisan Vs State of Odisha & Others dated 18/06/2021.
An application was filed in the NGT by Nabin Kisan, a farmer saying that the Belpahar municipality is constructing a new sewerage line by diverting it from its existing location, i.e., Om Shanti Centre, Gumadera, Belpahar in order to connect it to the nearby culvert at ward no. 7 where the fresh water from the big main pond and the small pond of Gumadera spills over and gets collected. The contention of the applicant was that as a result of this diversion due to construction of a new sewerage line the water is now overflowing on his agricultural land thereby destroying it.
The NGT directed the Belpahar Municipality, the District Magistrate and Collector, Jharsuguda District, and Odisha State Pollution Control Board to file their affidavits on why this sewerage line is being diverted over the land of the applicant and how the water is being allowed to overflow into the agricultural land.