ELURU: National Green Tribunal (NGT) team members, including Dr C Palpandi, Central Pollution Control Board Additional Director Dr M Madhusudan, Joint Chief Environment Engineer D Ravindranath and AP Pollution Control Regional Officer S Venkateswarlu visited the Polavaram project and inspected the works on Wednesday. District Collector R Mutyala Raju accompanied the team and explained about the ongoing works to them.

Later, the NGT team held a meeting in the guest house with economist Pentapati Pulla Rao, who complained to the NGT against the dumping of soil at the villages. A large number of villagers who attended the meeting with complaints.

YSRCP leaders Allu Jagan Mohan Rao and Fathimunnisa complained to the NGT team that huge quantity of soil is being dumped in their villages, causing severe air pollution in the surrounding areas. Due to the inhalation of polluted air, they are suffering from breathing and kidney problems. The dumping of huge quantity of soil is causing cracks in the walls of their houses and the wells are drying up. Septic tanks are getting filled with soil, they complained.

Responding to their complaints, the District Collector asked them to provide details of how many people were suffering from breathing-related problems and how many times they got their septic tanks cleaned. When the YSRCP leaders fumbled for answers, the Collector asked them not to make complaints without proof.

The leaders told them that if they had received that the Collector would ask them to produce evidence for their complaints, they would have brought all the relevant details. Farmers Kotamraju Ramachandra Rao, N Krishna complained to the NGT team that the officials forcibly took their 203 acres of land despite the court staying the acquisition.

However, the NGT team did not reply to the farmers and villagers. Later, the NGT team held a review meeting with officials at Polavaram Project office. They inspected the BC Colony from where they received complaints. The team asked the Collector to gather full details of the villagers. Forest Officer P Rama Krishna and RDO Mohan Kumar were present.