Cuttack: National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered an immediate halt to operations of four stone crusher units in Dhenkanal district after finding prima facie evidence of unauthorised occupation of Gramya Jungle and other land beyond areas permitted under their no-objection certificates (NOCs).An NGT east zone bench comprising Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert members A Senthil Vel and Ishwar Singh, in its Sept 16 order, restrained the four units from operating their crushers or undertaking mining in the areas concerned “till further orders”.Invoking the precautionary principle under Section 20 of the NGT Act, the bench directed Dhenkanal collector and SP to ensure compliance with the shutdown order.Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) was directed to obtain an ORSAC assessment of the quantity of illegally mined minerals and impose environmental compensation wherever violations were established.The matter will be heard next on Sept 25.The tribunal was dealing with a petition filed by a Talcher-based NGO, which alleged widespread illegal mining in Nishinta hill and adjoining reserved forest areas.The petition claimed that despite restrictions imposed under Section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, illegal quarrying continued with blasting and heavy machinery, resulting in alleged extraction of more than 20,000 tonnes of stone. Advocates Sankar Prasad Pani and Ashutosh Padhy appeared for the petitioner.The petition also alleged that four crusher units and illegal quarries were operating in Gondia tehsil, including areas along the Dhenkanal-Jajpur border, in violation of environmental norms.The NGT had earlier formed a joint committee comprising officials of the Union environment ministry, state forest and mines departments, Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) and Dhenkanal, Jajpur district administrations to verify the allegations and recommend remedial measures.The committee’s findings raised concerns over land occupation by the crusher units. The tribunal noted that the crusher units had encroached upon Gramya Jungle land and that eviction proceedings had been initiated against them.“The material placed on record shows serious environmental violations by four crusher units,” the bench observed, noting that the units had occupied Gramya Jungle or other land outside the areas for which NOCs had been issued.In one case, while the NOC recorded an area of 6.67 acres, drone photography and precise area calculations indicated that the crusher owner had acquired approximately 13.4 acres.