NGT adjourns hearing to May 10

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal here on Friday adjourned its hearing into the petition against Amaravati construction to May 10.
This followed after the submission of the AP government and the Capital Regional Development Authority (CRDA) that they had constituted a committee to study and prepare a report on the flood plains in the region as directed by the bench.
The five member bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar here in the past had issued notices to the AP government and the Environmental Ministry to appear before it with all relevant information and documents.
It also directed the State government to identify all flood plains of the river Krishna that fall under the purview of CRDA as pointed out by the petitioner. It noted with consternation that the AP government had not submitted the details sought by it in this regard nor any clarity given on the assurances sought earlier.
The State government must identify the areas that could face a possible flooding and come up with a report by the time the final hearing would take place, the bench directed in the past. When the counsels of the State government kept arguing that the possible of floods to river Krishna was only once in a 100 years, the bench disagreed and said it was still relevant that the government take all precautions to prevent and impending damage to the environment and eco systems in and around the river Krishna. There was no way that heavy floods could be contained by a few bunds and walls, it said.
“The Government should keep in mind while preparing the report on the floodplains that it should include all possible areas that could face inundation in case of heavy floods and submit the same,” it added.
Meanwhile, the petitioner on Friday complained that the government and the CRDA were not responding to the directives of the Tribunal.
Senior counsel, A K Ganguly, argued on behalf of the AP government and Sanjay Parikh and K Sravan Kumar represented the petitioner.