Brewery sealed in Odisha following NGT order

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Cuttack, May 5:

The district administration today sealed SR Breweries Pvt Ltd in Odisha’s Tangi area here following National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) interim order last month.

The Tribunal had directed the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) to shut the illegally-run breweries and file a compliance report on May 6.

The green panel also directed the Forests and Environment Department Principal Secretary, the Additional Chief Forest Conservator, the Cuttack district Collector and the Divisional Forest Officer to ensure that unit is closed and not permitted to operate during the pendency of this proceeding.

The closure order came during the hearing of the case filed by petitioner Subash Mohapatra.

Petitioner had alleged that prior approval of Central government is required for non-forest use of any forest land and in this case no such approval has been granted which itself was a violation Section 2 of Forest Conservation Act 1980. Further suppression of fact that forest land was involved in project warrants suspension of environment clearance granted to the project. SR Breweries Pvt. Ltd had managed to obtain Environmental Clearance without necessary forest clearance. The unit illegally encroached the forest land violating several environmental laws of the land.

Appearing for Ministry of Environment and Forests lawyer SK Ghosh submitted that SR Breweries Ltd had not obtained the necessary forest clearance before setting up the brewery.

The next hearing is scheduled to be held tomorrow.