Down To Earth brings you top environmental cases heard in Supreme Court, high courts & National Green Tribunal
The National Green Tribunal (NGT), July 18, 2022, directed Andhra Pradesh government to take appropriate actions against illegal aquaculture and sand mining units, operating in the coastal regions.
Actions would include removal of those units, disconnection of electricity, imposing environmental compensation and initiating prosecution.
The department of mines and geology, the Andhra Pradesh pollution control board, the state coastal zone authority and the district collectors will monitor the illegal sand mining activities.
The mines and geology department and the state coastal zone management authority must “strictly adhere to the sustainable sand mining policy of 2016 and the regulation of maintenance and enforcement of guidelines, 2020,” the tribunal said.
In addition, the chief secretary, Andhra Pradesh and the additional chief secretary were directed to issue necessary directions to the implementing authorities.
Venkatapathi Raja Yenumula, from east Godavari district, had filed a petition before the NGT June 22, 2020, against the operation of illegal beach sand mining and shrimp farms along the coastal stretches of the Bay of Bengal.
NGT has directed the Ministry of Jal Shakti (water), to furnish a report on whether dredging is taking place in Assi Ghat and Rajghat, on the banks of river Ganga.The secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti, is asked to furnish a factual report in this regard. The report has to be furnished within two months of the order.
The order was in response to the joint committee report, which stated that dredging had been done under a project by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
NGT has directed the pollution control boards to file affidavits on the chemical accident, which took place in the factory of Bharat Rasayan Ltd, Gujarat May 17, 2022.
The accident led to the death of two workers. The blast was said to have occurred due to the release of harmful chemicals from the storage tanks.
The central pollution control board, the Gujarat pollution control board, Bharat Rasayan Limited, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the secretary, state of Gujarat were the respondents of the case.
NGT has directed the respondents to file the reply within a period of four weeks. The matter is posted for hearing before the NGT August 18, 2022.
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