CHENNAI: Work at the Southern Bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) here has come to a halt as the lone judicial member M S Nambiar retired on Tuesday. Following this, over 500 cases will remain pending at the Southern Bench.
The Chennai Bench has been very active over the years next only to the principal bench in the national capital.
However, the non-appointment of judicial and expert members has crippled its operations. The tribunal lost its quorum after retirement of expert member P S Rao on November 21, but the proceedings resumed after the Union
Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change issued a notification empowering the National Green Tribunal chairperson to constitute the single-member benches.
Sources said no judicial member would opt to come to Chennai because of the huge workload. “It would be difficult for a new judicial member to go through all the cases all alone,” a senior counsel said.
Environmentalists and senior advocates have condemned the Centre’s apathy in filling the vacancies. All cases have been adjourned to January end and February.