Bhubaneswar, Jan. 3 -- The National Green Tribunal (NGT), the country's apex environment watchdog has directed to form a Special Task Force (STF) and a high-level joint committee to investigate and take strict action against the people involved in the alleged illegal mining on over 500 acres of Lord Jagannath's land in Nijigarh-Tapang panchayat area of Khordha district.

A six-member bench of the tribunal headed by Justice Adarsh Goel, in an order released recently, has directed the Odisha Home Secretary, DGP and Chairman of State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) to hold a joint meeting within two weeks, constitute an appropriate STF and consider registering a criminal case for an investigation into the illegal mining activities in the dist...