Cuttack: National Green Tribunal has ordered a joint committee to inspect a laterite stone quarry in Khurda district following allegations of mining beyond permitted limits, extraction outside the lease area and widespread violation of environmental safeguards. The NGT’s east zone bench passed the order on Aug 21 on a petition filed by Nayagarh district resident Trinath Palei. The order was uploaded on the NGT website on Aug 28. The petition concerns Olasingh laterite stone quarry-C under Tangi tehsil.Palei alleged that the private lessee was carrying out “illegal and unscientific extraction” in violation of the environmental clearance (EC), consent to establish, consent to operate and approved mining plan. Advocates Sankar Prasad Pani and Ashutosh made submissions on the petitioner’s behalf.Taking note of the allegations, the bench of judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert members A Senthil Vel and Ishwar Singh said, “Prima facie, the averments made in the application raise substantial questions relating to environment” arising from implementation of laws covered under the NGT Act.”Accordingly, the bench directed a committee comprising representatives of MoEF&CC’s integrated regional office, Bhubaneswar, OSPCB and Khurda district administration to inspect the site, verify the allegations and suggest remedial measures. The petitioner and concerned representatives of the lessee are to be associated with the exercise.The Khurda district magistrate will act as nodal agency. The committee is to be filed within a month. The matter has been listed for Oct 26.The tribunal also issued notices to senior state officials, including the additional chief secretary, forest and environment department, director of geology, deputy director of mines, Khurda circle, DFO Khurda, ORSAC chief executive and the private lessee and directed them to file their replies within a month.According to the petition, the EC initially granted to the tehsildar, Tangi, on June 30, 2021, was transferred to the private lessee on July 13, 2022. It permitted extraction of 2,000 cubic metres of laterite annually from 5 hectares.The petitioner alleged that extraction had exceeded the sanctioned quantity and was also being undertaken beyond the lease boundary. He further alleged transportation through village roads, violation of safety-zone norms, failure to develop a green belt and progressive mine closure measures and non-submission of mandatory quarterly compliance reports.The EC required the lessee to plant and maintain at least 1,000 native saplings along approach roads, the lease-area safety zone and community areas in consultation with the gram panchayat. However, the petition claimed, “not a single tree has been planted by the lessee”.