Lalmohan PatnaikCuttack: Orissa high court has sought response from the state govt and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), alleging illegal excavation, encroachment and ecological destruction in the protected Mahendragiri Hills of Gajapati district.Hearing the matter through virtual mode on Tuesday, a vacation bench of Justices K R Mohapatra and M S Sahoo adjourned the case till after the summer vacation, after additional govt advocate S R Pattnaik sought time to obtain instructions. Deputy solicitor general of India P K Parhi, appearing for the ASI, and the state counsel were directed to take instructions in the matter.The PIL was filed by Pradeep Kumar Bhuyan and three other residents of Gajapati district, belonging to Sabar (Saora) tribal community, who claimed to be hereditary worshippers associated with the sacred Mahendragiri Hill under Paralakhemundi forest division. Advocate Shivsankar Mohanty made submissions on behalf of the petitioners.The petition sought immediate intervention to stop alleged unauthorised excavation, illegal construction, installation of artificial idols and unlawful religious activities in and around the centrally protected Bhima, Kunti and Yudhistira temples located on the hill. It also prayed for demolition and removal of all alleged illegal structures and encroachments raised in violation of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, forest laws and environmental regulations.The petition alleged that certain private parties, under the guise of “research work” and “Mahendra Ashram”, have undertaken illegal excavation and construction activities near the protected monuments. Photographs submitted before the court allegedly showed excavation near Kunti Temple, uprooting of trees near Yudhistira Temple and construction of a concrete road within prohibited areas surrounding the monuments.The plea also raised objections to a proposed “Mahendra Mela” from June 1 to 13, alleging that mass gatherings and rituals could severely impact the fragile ecology, biodiversity and forest habitat of the region.According to the petitioners, Mahendragiri Hill is not only a sacred site for the Sabar and Kondh tribal communities but also an ecologically fragile mountain ecosystem, officially recognised by the Odisha govt. In Nov 2022, the state declared 4,250 hectares of Mahendragiri as a Biodiversity Heritage Site because of its rich biodiversity, endemic species and tribal cultural significance.
