Cuttack: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought appropriate action within eight weeks on a complaint alleging environmental degradation and administrative apathy in the upkeep of historic Jagannath Sagar in Koraput district’s Jeypore town.The complaint was filed by Jeypore-based human rights activist and advocate Anup Kumatt Patro, who alleged that the waterbody’s area has shrunk from its historical 115 hectares to 67.40 hectares due to illegal encroachment, while untreated sewage continues to be discharged into it.In its Aug 31 communication to Odisha chief secretary, NHRC directed that the complaint be transmitted to the concerned authority for appropriate action. “The authority concerned is directed to take appropriate action within 8 weeks associating the complainant/victim and to inform him/her of the action taken in the matter,” it said.Patro alleged that despite a sanction of Rs 45 crore during 2025-26 under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0, the focus has remained on “cosmetic beautification”, including lighting and walkways, instead of ecological restoration such as improving water quality and restoring the lake’s depth.The complaint also alleged a “total breakdown of the rule of law” owing to encroachments and sought restoration of Jagannath Sagar to its original 115-hectare area. It urged NHRC to order a high-level inquiry into alleged non-compliance with its earlier directions and fix responsibility on erring officials.Patro also sought an ecological audit, immediate stoppage of untreated sewage discharge, a time-bound plan for water purification and desilting, and an audit of funds sanctioned for the lake’s revival over the past four years.The complaint highlighted that the authorities had allegedly failed to comply with an NHRC order of July 20, 2020, passed on Patro’s earlier complaint seeking inclusion of Jagannath Sagar under National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP). The commission had then directed Koraput district magistrate to take appropriate action within eight weeks for its inclusion under NLCP by Centre.Located in the heart of Jeypore town in Koraput district, the pond was accorded a tourist destination tag by the British a few years after it was dug on a patch of 300 acres by the rulers of Jeypore kingdom in 1761. The pond was created for maintaining environmental balance and meeting the water requirements of people of both Koraput and Nabarangpur districts.