NGT slaps hefty fine for sand mining in Odisha’s Budhabalanga river bed

Two lessees accused of causing loss of revenue and ecological damage by mining sand vastly beyond permissible limit

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has cracked the whip on sand mining in the Budhabalanga river bed in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, imposing hefty fines totalling over ₹36 crore in three separate cases — among the highest penalties imposed on individuals in a case involving minor minerals, such as sand, in the State.

One Radhamohan Singh of Mayurbhanj district had moved the green court, raising the issue of rampant violation of Environmental Clearances (EC) and Consent to Operate (CTO) for sand mining in the Budhabalanga at the Dingiria, Arpata and Mahupura villages.  

While the lessee, Pradip Kumar Bindhani, was accused of carrying out excess mining and causing damage to environment at two places, Krupasindhu Singh, another lessee, was allegedly at fault on a similar count at one place.

Mr. Bindhani was accorded an EC and a CTO for extracting nine cubic metres of sand per day and 2,000 cubic metres of sand per year over a 16.12 acre area at Dingiria in Badasahi tehsil of Mayurbhanj district. However, the lessee was found to be extracting 2,295 cubic metres of sand per day and 4.819 lakh cubic metres of sand per year, which was 240 times the permissible limit, causing huge revenue loss to the State exchequer of about ₹43.68 crore, considering the value of one cubic metre of sand to be ₹1,365. In addition, he was also accused of causing ecological damage.

“As the lessee was operating the mine for the year 2021-22 without valid consent to operate from the State Pollution Control Board and valid EC from the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Odisha, Bhubaneswar, the lessee shall pay the environmental compensation for ecological damage due to illegal mining an amount of ₹11.89 crore and environmental compensation of ₹21 lakh for damage of the environment and operation of the quarry without valid CTO,” said the NGT’s eastern zone Bench comprising B. Amit Sthalekar, judicial member, and Saibal Dasgupta, expert member.

Shankar Pani, counsel for Mr. Singh, said the same lessee was active at Arpata village. Mr. Bindhani allegedly lifted 6.23 cubic metres of sand per year, compared with the annual permitted extraction of 2,200 cubic metres. The lessee also extracted 240 times the permitted volume of sand, causing loss of ₹53.26 crore to the exchequer. He was fined ₹4.92 crore for illegal mining.

Krupasindhu Singh, the lessee who was involved in sand mining at Mahupura village, against sand mining capacity of only 2,200 cubic metres per annum in accordance with the mining plan, was allegedly extracting around 2,040 cubic metres per day and 4.28 lakh cubic metres per annum. The NGT slapped a fine of ₹12.56 crore for violations on him. Besides, Mr. Pani said, the two lessees would have to pay ₹7.12 crore towards royalty for carrying out excess mining.