Cuttack: National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered a site-level joint inquiry into allegations that a private integrated steel plant at Marakuta in Jharsuguda district has been extracting groundwater through more than 50 bore wells, allegedly in violation of environmental norms.A three-member East Zone bench comprising judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert members A Senthil Vel and Ishwar Singh passed the order recently on a petition filed by 52-year-old Jharsuguda resident Digambar Bhoi.Bhoi alleged that the plant with a cement grinding unit was operating more than 50 bore wells fitted with high-powered motors and extracting groundwater, particularly during summer and the lean season. He claimed the company should instead have utilised water stored through rainwater harvesting facilities.The tribunal said the grievances warranted factual verification, observing that the petition “raises substantial questions relating to environment” arising from implementation of enactments specified under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010.The bench accordingly directed constitution of a joint committee comprising representatives of Odisha State Pollution Control Board and Jharsuguda district administration.
