Social activist and former IAS officer E.A.S. Sarma has filed a petition in the National Green Tribunal seeking a direction cancelling environmental clearance (EC) given by Andhra Pradesh State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority for construction of new capital at Amaravati.
The petition has made the Union of India, Capital Region Development Authority, State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority and A.P. Pollution Control Board as the respondents.
Mr. Sarma, a bitter critic of establishing the capital at Amaravati from the beginning, challenged the EC granted by the SEIAA for setting up the capital at Amaravati in 217.23 sq. km area covering 23 villages in Thulluru, Tadepalli and Mangalagiri mandals in Guntur District.
He said that the capital was being developed in an ecologically sensitive area comprising fertile multi-crop agricultural lands, unidentified wetlands, forests, islands, streams and the River Krishna.
The decision to allow capital at Amaravati would go against the guidelines of the National Green Tribunal and not in conformity with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
