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The National Green Tribunal (NGT), August 8, 2024 instructed the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board to submit an affidavit calculating environmental compensation for illegal sand mining in Bokaro and Hazaribagh.
According to the affidavit filed by the Deputy Commissioner of Bokaro, 389.6 tonnes of illegal sand was mined in the district in 2022-23, with 110 vehicles seized and 78 FIRs lodged.
In the 2023-24 period, 5,846 tonnes of illegal sand were extracted, 78 vehicles were confiscated, and 49 FIRs were filed. In Hazaribagh district, 11,753 tonnes of illegal sand were mined in 2022-23, with 11 vehicles seized and Rs 61,85,000 collected in penalties. For 2023-24, 174 tonnes of sand were illegally mined, 31 vehicles were confiscated, and Rs 47,16,000 were collected in penalties.
At present, Jehanabad city in Bihar does not have a sewage treatment plant (STP). Nevertheless, two STPs with capacities of 17 MLD and 7 MLD have been sanctioned for the city under the Amrut 2.0 project, stated the affidavit filed by the District Magistrate, Jehanabad.
The report was in compliance with the NGT order, January 11, 2024.
The executive officer of Nagar Parishad, Jehanabad, reported that there were five garbage dump sites near the Dardha riverbank where locals had been dumping garbage for over 20 years. Of these five sites, three have been cleared and one is currently being cleaned.
The remaining area will be cleared next summer when the river completely dries up, according to the report. The sub-divisional magistrate and circle officer of Jehanabad have identified 189 encroachers along the riverbank. Out of these, 137 are landless and 52 own land. Among the 52 landowners, 32 have been evicted and their unauthorised structures have been demolished.
On August 7, 2024, the eastern bench of the NGT instructed authorities to investigate the complaints regarding encroachment and pollution of a waterbody, Salboni lake, Kolkata, West Bengal.
The NGT has issued notices to the West Bengal government, Kolkata Municipal Corporation, West Bengal Pollution Control Board, and Eastern Railway Authority.
All parties are required to submit their counter affidavits within four weeks, with the next hearing scheduled for September 13, 2024.
The application, filed by the Salboni Apartment Owners Association, seeks the restoration of Salboni lake / pond. The association claimed that the water body, once used for fish harvesting, has been neglected since 2018 and is now nearly extinct.
On May 16, 2017, a notice was posted on part of the water body, stating that it was under the control and management of the Municipal Commissioner of Kolkata Municipal Corporation as per the West Bengal Fisheries Act, 1993.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation had requested an NOC from the Railways for renovation, as part of the water body belongs to Eastern Railway, Sealdah, which was granted. Additionally, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation plans to build 384 houses in Rosogolla Basti, an area of about 20,000 square feet, adjacent to the water body. The project spans 4.65 acres, raising concerns about potential encroachment on the water body.
On March 20, 2024, a local resident sent a representation to the East Kolkata Wetland Management Authority, highlighting the residents' grievances, including the halted maintenance and fishery activities, and the potential alteration of the water body's nature and character.