The National Green Tribunal (NGT), for the first time on Thursday, heard the arguments in a petition against destruction of the mangrove forests near Kakinada through a videoconference.
NGT Southern Zone Bench judicial member Justice K. Ramakrishnan and expert member Saibal Dasgupta heard the arguments by NGT and Supreme Court advocate Sanjay Upadhyay on behalf of petitioner Bolisetti Satyanarayana and NGT advocate Donti Madhuri Reddy representing the Government of Andhra Pradesh, in Chennai.
While the petitioner filed the plea on April 17, the date for hearing was delayed by a couple of days for setting up the videoconference equipment.
The Tribunal opted for the videoconference mode in the wake of the national lockdown.
After recording the arguments of both sides, the NGT adjourned the ruling to Monday so that it could take into consideration a ruling of a similar case that was coming up for hearing on the same day (April 27) in the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
The NGT, in its order, observed that a “similar matter is pending before the honourable High Court of Andhra Pradesh. It is then not proper for the tribunal to consider it (the petition) at present without verifying the contents of the writ petition that has been filed.”
The NGT, accepting an undertaking by Ms. Madhuri Reddy that she would produce a copy of the writ petition as well as the orders, if any, passed by the High Court in this matter, the tribunal said time was being granted till Monday.
Additional details sought
The tribunal also sought from Ms. Madhuri Reddy details of the survey number of the “properties from where the alleged violations are said to be committed by the government as well as these particulars were lacking in the application.”
The case was posted for 11 a.m. on April 27.
While a case was filed in the NGT on April 17, a writ petition was filed in the High Court on April 20, challenging the clearing of lands for distribution to eligible candidates as house sites.