VIJAYAWADA: The Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) is likely to inspect the Rayalaseema Lift Scheme (RLS) on Wednesday, August 11, 2021, with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) giving time only till Friday to submit a report if AP has taken up works in contempt of the green panel’s previous order.
Although the board had requested the tribunal for three weeks for the submission of the status report, the southern zone bench of the NGT on Monday directed the KRMB to furnish the details by August 13. Sources said that the board will visit the proposed Rayalaseema Lift scheme’s work site in which the AP government said it has taken up only investigation works. If at all the proposed visit doesn’t happen for any unforeseen reason on Wednesday, the committee is expected to carry out the inspection by Thursday, sources added.
Gavinolla Srinivas, who filed a petition last year against the project, has filed a contempt petition this year alleging that AP government took up works in violation of the earlier order. As AP had apprehensions about the presence of a Central Water Commission official hailing from Telangana in the inspection panel, the KRMB sought three weeks as it had asked the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti for nominating a new official. However, the NGT has given time till Monday and has scheduled the next hearing on Aug 16.