NGT gives green signal to Cuttack Baliyatra festival

National Green Tribunal(NGT) today gave its nod for the week-long annual Baliyatra festival from November 14 at the designated ground if the same was not located on Mahanadi riverbed as was alleged in the original application (OA).
The East Zone bench of NGT was moved during the day following a decision last night to approach it to reconsider Monday's order and allow holding of the historical festival.
On a mention by Additional Government Advocate (AGA) of Orissa High Court, Janmejaya Katakia the NGT bench of Justice S P Wangdi and expert member Prof P C Mishra clarified that the confusion over the conduct of the festival was unfounded.

"We have not directed that no site should at all be allotted. It has simply been directed that the state should avoid allotting sites on the riverbed, if the allotments are being proposed there," the bench said adding that Katakia submit that stalls are not being set up on the riverbed but on the adjacent alluvial soil.
"We do not see any reason as to why the state respondents should be concerned. They are at liberty to go ahead with such allotments if the submission of Mr Katakia is correct," it said and ordered that the matter would come up for hearing again on November 11 as was fixed earlier.

The NGT while adjudicating over the OA filed by an environmentalist had on Monday ordered the respondents of the OA, including the district collector, to consider avoiding allotting sites on the riverbed on the basis of information provided by the counsel of the petitioner. It had led to apprehensions that the historical festival would be cancelled this year and the district administration was even mulling of appealing to Supreme Court.
After today's NGT order the administration has resumed preparations for the festival allotting plots to the prospective traders to set up their temporary stalls on both the Baliyatra grounds, Cuttack district collector N C Mishra said.

All steps would be taken to ensure that the river water is not polluted due to the festival, he added.