The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued an order staying the Andhra Pradesh Government’s scheme to link the Godavari, Krishna and Penna rivers in the State.
It ordered that the Ministry of Environment should submit a report within a month.
The Tribunal, in an order released on Friday, said that the State could not go ahead with the project without getting clearance from the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. A Bench, consisting of NGT Chairman Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, judicial members Justice S.P. Wangdi and K. Ramakrishnan and expert member Nagin Nanda, restrained Andhra Pradesh from proceeding further with the project till it acquired environmental clearance, consent to establish and operate the project under provisions of the Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986, Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
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The tribunal ordered the regional office of the Union Environment Ministry to inspect the project along with the Central Pollution Control Board and the State Pollution Control Board and submit a factual report within a month. The tribunal posted the hearing on the matter on August 13.