As many as 45 categories of cases, including the ones relating to assignment of land to Adivasis and encroachment of land in Munnar, have been ordered to be posted before the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court Manjula Chellur for referring them to the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The Supreme Court had ordered that all cases involving environmental issues, after the enactment of the NGT Act, be transferred to the tribunal. The apex court, issuing the directive, had observed that referring the cases to the NGT would help provide expeditious and specialised justice in matters concerning the environment. The court directed all High Courts to transfer such cases to the NGT.
A grouping cell of the High Court selected cases falling under various heads of environmental issues and grouped them in 45 different categories. They include encroachment of poramboke land, eviction, spreading/control of epidemic, biomedical waste disposal, digging of wells, and quarrying, etc.