The principal bench of the National Green Tribunal on Wednesday turned down the plea of the State government for re-transfer of cases related to Yettinahole diversion issue to the southern zone bench. The bench has posted for hearing of four cases to August 8.
On the plea of Kishore Kumar, C. Yattiraju, Purushottam Chitrapura and K.N. Somashekar, the division bench of the NGT southern zone on July 4 ordered transfer of four cases questioning implementation of the Yettinahole water diversion project in the eco-sensitive Western Ghats. Through this project, the State government intends to collect 24 tmc ft. of water to meet the drinking water needs of parched regions of Tumakuru, Chikkkaballapura and Bengaluru Rural districts.
The petitioners had expressed distrust over the southern bench’s delay in deciding on maintainability of their petitions and sought transfer.
According to Mr. Somashekar, the Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Limited – the agency implementing the project – on Wednesday asked the principal bench to retransfer the four petitions to the southern zone. The bench headed by Swatanter Kumar turned down the plea and said it will be hearing the four petitions as there was no second bench of the southern zone.
The principal bench comprising Justice Swatanter Kumar, judicial members M.S. Nambiar and Raghuvendra S. Rathore; and expert members A. E. Yusuf and Bikram Singh, posted the four cases to August 8 and directed the parties to be ready to submit their arguments, Mr. Somashekar said.
