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No sand walls are present in the Subarnarekha river within Odisha’s territory, the National Green Tribual (NGT) was told April 22, 2025.
“If any sand walls that were created, they have already been washed away and the river is now flowing along its natural course,” stated the compliance affidavit filed by the Tahasildar, Jaleswar, Balasore district.
From the eastern side of the river (West Bengal side), leaseholders have constructed a temporary wooden bridge over the waterbody and a road across the sandbed. The report noted that the allegations relate to the Dakhina Praharajpur and Olmara RI Circle of Jaleswar tehsil, which borders West Bengal. In this area, the interstate boundary through the Subarnarekha river has not yet been physically demarcated by either state.
In a letter dated February 12, 2025, the additional district magistrate of Balasore informed the director of land records & survey, Odisha, that authorities in West Bengal had attempted to auction a sand source at Sonakania near Olmara Circle in Jaleswar tehsil. However, the process could not be completed due to uncertainty over whether the site falls under the jurisdiction of West Bengal or Odisha.
Subsequently, on February 18, 2025, the director of land records & survey communicated the issue to the chief executive of the Odisha Space Applications Centre (ORSAC), requesting a field visit to demarcate the interstate boundary. An ORSAC team visited the site on March 3, 2025 and carried out geo-referencing to initiate the border demarcation process.
A news report published in the newspaper The New Indian Express on May 16, 2024 claimed that 75 pillars had been erected to mark the border. In response, it was clarified that 36 pillar points were identified through geo-referencing, all of which remain intact except for three that are partially damaged. The ORSAC team also used geo-referencing to identify locations where sand was extracted in order to determine whether those areas fall within Odisha or West Bengal.
The report further stated that the Mining Office in Balasore had seized 77 vehicles found transporting sand illegally between December 21, 2023 and April 6, 2025. Penalties totalling over Rs 1 crore were collected and deposited in the government treasury. Additionally, the mining officer, Balasore, reported that there are 21 sand sources in the Subarnarekha river under Jaleswar tehsil, of which three are currently operational.
The issue pertains to allegations that leaseholders from West Bengal have erected 15 sand walls in the Subarnarekha river, altering the course of the water and directing it towards habitations in Gopalpur, Rajanagar and other adjoining villages under Jaleswar tehsil in Odisha’s Balasore district.
The NGT, on April 16, 2025, directed the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board (UKPCB) to submit an affidavit explaining the non-functioning and non-compliance of several sewage treatment plants (STP) in the state.
The tribunal took note of a compliance affidavit filed by the UKPCB, which revealed that most STPs in the state are not operating in accordance with prescribed norms and are frequently non-functional.
UKPCB informed the court that it had issued notices under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 to the managing director of Uttarakhand Pey Jal Nigam and the general manager of Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan regarding the non-compliance of STPs.
The state government was instructed to file an affidavit specifying the timeline for the establishment and operationalisation of STPs. The next hearing is scheduled for May 29, 2025.
The original application before the tribunal concerns efforts to prevent, control and abate pollution in the Ganga river. The matter is being reviewed on a state-wise and district-wise basis and the status in Uttarakhand was considered on April 16, 2025.
Previously, on February 13, 2025, the NGT had directed the Secretary of Urban Development to submit a time-bound plan for the 100 per cent treatment of sewage generated across Uttarakhand’s districts and local bodies, to ensure no untreated sewage is discharged into the river. The tribunal also requested a detailed plan for establishing and operationalising STPs, including household connectivity and compliance with pollution norms.
Reports were submitted by the irrigation department, the secretary of environment and the deputy secretary of the department of drinking water and sanitation. However, the tabulated data required by the NGT’s February 13, 2025 order was not included in the documents submitted.
The annexure filed with the affidavit of the Additional Secretary (Environment) provided city-wise and town-wise details of drains, but most columns were left blank. Counsel for the state explained that the required information was still being collected from various departments and therefore, full particulars could not be submitted. He assured the tribunal that a revised affidavit with complete tabulated data would be filed within a week.
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) told the NGT on April 22, 2025 that neither the MoEF&CC nor the Govind Ballabh Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment (GBPNIHE) is mandated to regularly monitor glaciers or set up early warning systems for flood-induced disaster management.
The report clarified that the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) holds responsibility within the Government of India for glacial studies and flood management. Institutions under MoJS — such as the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee — are actively involved in glacier monitoring and related research.
The CWC monitors numerous glacial lakes and water bodies across the Himalayan region and communicates observed changes in water spread to relevant stakeholders, including the National Disaster Management Authority and State Disaster Management Authorities.
GBPNIHE acts as a nodal agency for conducting in-depth research and development on environmental issues concerning the Indian Himalayan region. However, the report clarified that the institute has no regulatory or implementation mandate under any environmental legislation in India.
While the institute has not undertaken systematic documentation or an inventory of glacial lake expansion in the region, a recent study by GBPNIHE did assess the response of 25 glaciers in the Western Himalaya (covering Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh) to climate change over the period 1990–2015. The study observed a significant increase in both the number and surface area of glacial lakes during this time.