Supreme Court quashes NGT stay on Visakhapatnam's Rushikonda Hill project

VIJAYAWADA: The Supreme Court quashed the order issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to halt construction work for a tourism project at Rushikonda Hill in Visakhapatnam. Hearing the State government's plea against the NGT order, a vacation bench of Justices BR Gavai and Hima Kohli held that it was inappropriate for the NGT to proceed, when the high court was seized of the matter. 

"The conflicting orders passed by the NGT and the high court would lead to an anomalous situation. The authorities would be faced with difficulty on which orders to follow. In such a case, orders from the Constitutional court would prevail over statutory tribunals. We, therefore, quash and set aside the proceedings before the NGT," the apex court said.

Clarifying that construction can be carried out on the flat area where an existing resort was earlier demolished, the SC noted that though development is necessary for economic development, the environment should be safeguarded.  

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the government, submitted that the NGT is subordinate to the HC. The NGT had stayed the project on a petition filed by rebel YSRC MP K Raghu Ramakrishna Raju, alleging violation of CRZ norms.