NGT directs KRMB to inspect Andhra Pradesh’s RLIS site

HYDERABAD: In a setback to Andhra Pradesh, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday directed the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) to conduct an independent site inspection of the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS), sans the assistance of the government.

The NGT order is of significance as the KRMB, in its affidavit to the tribunal, had said that the Andhra Pradesh government was not cooperating with it in facilitating a visit of its Fact-Finding Committee to the RLIS site.

The visit was aimed at inspecting the site to examine whether the NGT’s 2020-directions were violated or not.

In October 2020, the NGT had directed the Andhra Pradesh government not to proceed with construction of the RLIS without first receiving environmental clearance for the project from Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and prior approvals from the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) and KRMB.

However, in June 2021, Gavinolla Srinivas, a resident of Telangana’s Narayanpet, who had filed the original petition last year in the NGT against the Andhra Pradesh government’s plans of constructing the RLIS, filed a contempt petition in the tribunal, alleging that the project was still being constructed.

Recently, the Telangana government had filed a petition in the NGT, alleging that the Andhra Pradesh government was going ahead with the construction of the RLIS in violation of the tribunal’s 2020-orders.

Telangana had urged the NGT to restrain its neighbour from executing the RLIS project without necessary approvals. It had also asked the tribunal to pass appropriate orders under Sections 26 and 28 of the NGT Act for AP’s willful violation of its orders.

On Friday, during the NGT’s hearing of the contempt petitions, TS’s legal representative even offered to provide a helicopter for the KRMB Fact Finding Committee to facilitate inspection of RLIS. NGT posted the hearing to August 9.

Green clearance

In October 2020, the NGT had directed the Andhra Pradesh government not to proceed with construction of the RLIS without receiving environmental clearance

TS govt had filed plaint against AP

Recently, the Telangana government had filed a petition in the NGT, alleging that the Andhra Pradesh gover nment was going ahead with the construction of the RLIS in violation of the tribunal’s 2020-orders. Telangana had urged the NGT to restrain its neighbour from executing the RLIS project without necessary approvals. It had also asked the tribunal to pass appropriate orders under Sections 26 and 28 of the NGT Act for AP’s willful violation of its orders. On Friday, during the NGT’s hearing of the contempt petitions, TS’s legal representative even offered to provide a helicopter for the KRMB Fact Finding Committee to facilitate inspection of RLIS. NGT posted the hearing to August 9