VIJAYAWADA: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered constitution of a committee to look into the allegations of environmental damage due to illegal beach sand mining, sand mining in assigned lands and illegal and unauthorised aqua/fish ponds in East Godavari district.
The committee, to be headed by members of Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), should submit its findings in three months.
On Wednesday, the NGT’s southern zonal bench in Chennai heard the petition filed by Y Venkatapathi Raju, a resident of Kesavadasupalem of East Godavari and represented by advocate Sravan Kumar, alleging environmental damage due to ‘illegal’ sand mining in assigned lands and unauthorised aquaculture in 25 km stretch in Gollapalem, Turupupalem, Kesanapally, Padamatipalem, Shankaraguptam, Chintalamori, Kesavadasupalem, Antarvedikara, Antarvedi Devastanam, Pallipalem, Gagannamatam, Karavaka villages of Sakhinetipalli, Malikipuram, Rojole mandals of the district.
Raju urged that a panel be formed to assess the damage done so that compensation could be paid to the affectees.
He urged damages be recovered from those responsible for the violations. After hearing the arguments, the bench comprising judicial member K Ramakrishnan and member S Dasgupta, ordered a panel comprising members from Central and State PCBs, AP Coastal Regulatory Authority, National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management and EG Collector to study the issues. The matter will be heard on October 8.