ORDER

1. The issue raised in this application is establishment of industries near the agricultural/residential area by Respondent No. 9 to 14 having Bhoomidhari land in Village Afrid, District Janjhgir, Champa, Chhattisgarh. It is alleged that by concealment of facts, no objection certificate was obtained from Gram Panchayat, village Afrid for establishing cottage industry on the agricultural land and later on respondents applied to the Collector for change in nature of land from agricultural land to industrial land, which without ascertaining that land in issue of private respondents is situated in the mid of the village and is surrounded by fertile farmlands, granted the permission vide order dated 17.05.2019. On the complaint of the villagers and considering the seriousness of the issue, Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board after inspection, vide letter dated 07.09.2018, apprised the Respondent No. 2 that the land in issue has been in the nature of agricultural land and by conversion into the industrial use, it may drastically affect the ecology and nearby environment. It is further alleged that construction of industry on agricultural land, despite being industrial area earmarked in their vicinity is bad in law and illegal and is drastically and negatively affecting the nearby environment.

2. The matter was taken up by this Tribunal on 30.06.2021 and a committee was constitute in the following manner :-

“5. (i) Collector, District Janjhgir, Champa, Chhattisgarh (ii) A member from Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board &

(iii) A member form Chhattisgarh State Centre for Climate Change.

6. The committee is directed to submit a factual and action taken report within six weeks. The report in the matter be filed by the committee by email at ngtczbbho-mp@gov.in preferably in the form of searchable PDF/OCR Support PDF and not in the form of image PDF.”

3. In response thereof, the Joint Committee submitted the report, which is as follows:-