CHENNAI: The National Green Tribunal has sought a report from the chief secretary on district-wise encroachments on waterbodies, wetlands and river poramboke land. It has also sought a list of encroachments in the form of cultivation, temporary or permanent habitations and commercial buildings and a plan of action to evict them.
Following newspaper reports on calamities owing to damage to natural resources, Justice Pushpa Satyanarayan and Dr Satyagopal Korlapati of the tribunal took up the matter suo motu.
The tribunal has sought a report on how many waterbodies in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Kanchipuram have been breached, of which how many were manmade and the action taken thereof. It has sought details on extent of wetlands (natural and manmade) and rivers that have been allotted to government departments for the construction of commercial and residential buildings.
The government has been asked to provide information on the extent of water storage capacity as per tank records and how much storage capacity is lost due to shrinkage of waterbodies.
It may be noted that TNIE published a report on CMDA members secretary Anshul Mishra planning to clear a proposal to reclassify a ‘non-urban use zone’ into a ‘residential use zone’ after the recent flood. This land lies near the banks of the Cooum and close to Bangaru Canal which receives floodwater from Korattur check-dam. The Water Resources Department, which had granted a no-objection report, later questioned the revenue records of the site.
The tribunal has also sought details on schemes launched since 2015 for increasing the water-storing capacity in Chennai and its neighbourhood by new reservoirs, in-stream reservoirs and deepening of waterbodies.
The tribunal said the Supreme Court has upheld the public trust doctrine by stating that it is the state’s responsibility to act as trustee of natural resources for the welfare of public and ascertain that these resources are used by citizens in a sustainable manner. “The agencies responsible for protection and maintenance of the waterbodies and flood plains as well as those responsible for urban planning are found wanting,” the tribunal observed.
“The government, over the years, has been implementing several schemes to mitigate risks, in addition to the huge amounts spent on relief and rehabilitation. However, it is also a fact that neglect and damage to natural resources continues unabated. Shrinking of waterbodies, disappearance and disruption of inlet and outlet channels and damage to rivers and floodplains are rampant,” the tribunal said.
The NGT is to hear the case on February 1.
