VISAKHAPATNAM: The Chennai bench of the National Green Tribunal has directed the Andhra government to cancel or revoke the permission granted to Nagarjuna Construction Company Ltd (NCCL) to take up activities related to a proposed industrial zone on the wetlands of Sompeta in Srikakulam till further orders. Justice K Ramakrishnana has said Sompeta wetland is declared as wetland under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017.
Even if any portion of the wetland was not included as wetlands, it should be treated as a water body, the NGT said and restrained NCCL from doing any work in the area. The judgement came in the petition filed by Paryavarana Parirakshana Sangham and former Union Energy Secretary EAS Sarma.
The Green Tribunal also directed the government to conduct further study on the study undertaken by the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) with regard to wetlands in Sompeta in Srikakulam district.
It said the department of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change and State of Andhra Pradesh shall include a SACON representative as one of the members of the committee to identify the wetlands mapped and included in the National Wetland Atlas in respect of Sompeta wetland complex and make recommendation to the State Wetland Authority.
On receipt of the same, the State Wetland Authority should make recommendations to the State government to take steps to notify the Sompeta wetland complex.The NGT also directed the department concerned to identify and prepare a brief document regarding the other wetlands in Srikakulam district and other parts of the State, which were mapped in the National Wetland Atlas prepared by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in tune with the rules prevailing in 2010 and in consonance with the Ramsar Convention. The NGT asked the department to submit a proposal to the State Wetlands Authority, which in turn shall make the recommendations.
The Special Chief Secretary to Government (Environment, Forests, and Climate Change) has been asked to submit a periodical report regarding the progress of the exercise done by them in this regard, once in three months, till it is completed.The Special Chief Secretary to the State government (Revenue Department) was directed to submit a report regarding the action taken to revoke permission granted to NCCL and others within three months.
File action-taken report in 3 months, AP told
The Special Chief Secretary to the State government (Revenue Department) was directed to submit a report regarding the action taken to revoke permission granted to NCCL and others within three months. The NGT also directed the department concerned to identify and prepare a brief document regarding the other wetlands in Srikakulam district and other parts of the State, which were mapped in the National Wetland Atlas prepared by the MoEF&CC.