Odisha Miner Fined Rs 228 Cr for Illegal Extraction, Jajpur Takes Strict Action

Jajpur Cracks Down on Mining Violations, Slap Hefty Fine on Sarbeswar Behuria. The action sends a strong message against illegal mining and environmental harm.

JAJPUR (Odisha) (IndiaCSR): The Jajpur administration in Odisha has sent a strong message to illegal miners, imposing a massive fine of Rs 228.25 crore on Sarbeswar Behuria of Saroi village for extracting minor minerals from a quarry without authorization. This stringent action comes after a recommendation from the Darpan tehsil authorities, who initially proposed a fine of Rs 29 crore.

Drone Survey Reveals Extensive Illegal Activity

The hefty fine is based on detailed calculations following the discovery of Behuria’s illegal activities. A drone survey conducted by Aerial Construction and Geo-India Services revealed that he had illegally extracted a staggering 253273.65 cubic meters of morrum, a type of clay used in construction.

Collector Enhances Penalty, Demands Immediate Action

Jajpur Collector Chakravarti Singh Rathore, upon receiving the recommendation from the Darpan tehsil, took decisive action. He significantly increased the initial fine, taking into account royalty, additional charges, penalty, District Mineral Fund (DMF), Environment Management Fund (EMF), and environmental compensation charges. Additionally, he directed the Darpan tehsildar to promptly issue a demand notice to Behuria for flagrantly violating the Odisha Minor Mineral Concession (OMMC) Rules 2016.

Strong Signal Against Environmental Malpractice

This hefty fine sends a clear message to potential illegal miners in Jajpur and across Odisha. The administration will not tolerate environmental exploitation and is committed to protecting natural resources. The swift action taken in this case demonstrates the government’s resolve to hold violators accountable and ensure responsible mining practices.

Key Points

Miner Sarbeswar Behuria fined Rs 228.25 crore for illegally extracting 253273.65 cum of morrum.
Fine calculation includes royalty, additional charges, penalty, DMF, EMF, and environmental compensation charges.
Jajpur Collector directs Darpan tehsil to issue immediate demand notice to Behuria for OMMC rule violation.

It is worth mentioning that in September 2022, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) instructed the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) to commence legal action against those responsible for unauthorized sand mining from the Bughabalanga River in Mayurbhanj district’s Badasahi tehsil.

The NGT’s East Zone bench declared that illegal sand extraction amounting to over 149,000 cubic meters had occurred at Mahupura, Dingiria, and Arapata. Consequently, a total of Rs 36 crore in environmental compensation has been imposed for the environmental harm caused by excessive mining and the unlawful operation of the quarry without proper authorization.

(India CSR)