NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday refused to interfere with the environment clearance granted to the proposed new capital of Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati.
To monitor the work at the project site, the green tribunal also formed a supervisory committee and an implementation panel.
The tribunal had sought responses from the Centre and the Andhra Pradesh government over a petition filed by activist P Srimannnarayana which said the site was an area which was prone to floods. It also claimed that while selecting the location for the new capital, the government of Andhra Pradesh had not taken into account the ecological aspects of the site.
The tribunal had asked the state government not to carry out any activity at the site without obtaining the clearance for the project. The petitioners had made the AP government, Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority and the ministries of environment and forests, urban development and water resources parties in the case.
The plea contended that the government had proposed large-scale urbanisation and infrastructure development on areas, comprising flood plains, wetlands and cultivable land.