NGT raps Odisha pollution board for ‘illegal clearance’ to East Coast Railway’s Rengali project

In a sharp rebuke, the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) East Zone Bench has held the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) accountable for granting environmental clearances to East Coast Railway’s Rengali railway siding in Sambalpur district in blatant violation of its own guidelines.

Responding to a 2024 petition alleging unchecked pollution from raw material handling at the Rengali goods shed, the Tribunal found that the site was alarmingly close to residential areas and sensitive public institutions, as stated in a report from The New Indian Express.

It noted that the OSPCB granted both Consent to Establish and Consent to Operate despite the siding being located within 100–130 metres of schools and temples, clearly breaching environmental buffer norms laid out by the board itself in 2010.

Critical Lapses in Environmental Oversight

The Tribunal flagged this as a case of serious regulatory negligence, stating that the board's failure to enforce its own rules exposed local populations to avoidable environmental and health risks.

Although the siding operated only briefly and is currently shut, the Tribunal noted that such clearances should never have been issued in the first place.

Despite the lapses, the NGT declined to impose environmental compensation on East Coast Railway, reasoning that there was no evidence of fraud or misinformation from the operator’s side. The fault, it said, lay entirely with the Pollution Control Board’s decision-making process.

No Fresh Clearance Without Compliance

The Tribunal also took note of a fresh application submitted by East Coast Railway in August 2024 seeking approval to handle 13,500 metric tonnes of coal monthly at the same site. It issued strict directions to ensure that no new clearance is granted unless it complies fully with existing environmental norms.

The ruling comes amid a broader inquiry into the functioning of Odisha’s environmental regulators. In February, the Tribunal had also issued notices to the OSPCB and the state government over alleged pollution violations by a private steel firm in Dhenkanal, prompting the formation of a multi-agency investigation team.

The officials of East Coast Railway could not be contacted over the matter.