NGT in Hyderabad to hear plea on Choutuppal's environment relief fund

HYDERABAD: The National Green Tribunal in Hyderabad has taken up a plea to establish the Choutuppal environment relief fund, which is similar to the Patancheru and Bollarum environment relief funds and posted the case to July 7.
Kalushya Parirakshana Samithi initially filed the petition, but since the samithi has been dissolved, individual farmers who have suffered due to the environmental damage caused by pharmaceutical companies near Choutuppal have pursued the case.

The applicants claimed that these companies have been causing severe ecological destruction in Lingojiguda, Pantangi, Thangadapall, and Aregudem villages in Choutuppal mandal of Nalgoda and Yadadri Bhuvanagiri districts.
These polluting industries extract groundwater from Musi river, which is already highly polluted, operate their plants and discharge pollutants underground through deep borewells and natural streams.
G Manohar Reddy of Malakpet said in his affidavit that he and his wife own fertile agricultural lands in Choutuppal and Tangadapally villages. However, they could not till their land for 15 years due to chemical smell and soil and water pollution caused by a top pharma company.
He also alleged that chemical pollution in the area due to the pharma units has been confirmed by the Telangana State Pollution Control Board, agriculture department and Prof Jayashankar Telangana State Agriculture University, among others.
"The pharmaceutical companies have caused severe damage to the environment and we have suffered huge financial and health loss due to the chemical pollution," said Manohar in his affidavit.
NGT, in an order, said: "The earlier direction to file a report by the TSPSB has not been filed. The Central Pollution Control Board has sought time to file its report."