The National Green Tribunal's east zone bench has issued notices to several authorities concerning allegations of illegal tree felling and land clearing for a proposed Rs 28-crore urban development project at Jubilee Park in the Mayurbhanj district's Baripada municipality.
NGT Order Details
The order, dated April 30 and uploaded on May 6, was issued while the NGT was hearing a petition filed by a Kendrapada-based RTI activist seeking immediate intervention. The petitioner, Pratap Chandra Mohanty, urged the tribunal to declare the tree felling illegal under the Van Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan Adhiniyam 2023 and to direct authorities to restore the site to its original condition.
Advocates Sankar Prasad Pani and Ashutosh Padhy presented the submissions for the petitioner. Taking note of these, the bench, comprising judicial member Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member Dr A Senthil Vel, observed on April 30: "Prima facie the averments made in the application raise substantial questions relating to environment arising out of the implementation of the enactments specified in Schedule-I to the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010."
Authorities Noticed
Accordingly, the tribunal directed its registry to issue notices to the additional chief secretaries of the forest and housing departments, the Mayurbhanj collector, the divisional forest officer (DFO) of Baripada, the Odisha Biodiversity Board, the Baripada municipality, the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), and the National Federation of Farmers' Procurement, Processing and Retailing Cooperatives of India Ltd (NACOF). The respondents are expected to file their responses within one month, and the matter has been scheduled for further hearing on July 27.
Petitioner's Allegations
In his petition, Mohanty claimed that more than 100 trees were cut using chainsaws from April 4 onwards for the development of Jubilee Park and Jhinjiri Pond under Baripada municipality. He alleged that the stumps were later cleared using heavy machinery, including earth-movers. The project, spread over nearly nine acres, covers land classified as forest (jungle), water body (jalasaya), and wasteland (patita). While the municipality issued the work order, execution has been undertaken by NACOF.
Procedural Lapses
The petitioner raised procedural lapses, alleging that no prior approval was obtained from the divisional forest officer, Baripada, before initiating tree felling. He cited a 2011 order of the MoEFCC, which mandates that projects involving both forest and non-forest land require central clearance before any activity begins.
Ecological Concerns
The plea also flagged ecological concerns, stating that the site, locally known as "Pakhi Vihar," has long served as a habitat for thousands of birds. Environmentalists have claimed that the area functioned as a year-round refuge for birds, making the alleged tree felling particularly damaging. The petition further alleged violation of provisions under the Biological Diversity Act 2002.
