Vijayawada: In a major jolt to the AP government, the National Green Tribunal on Saturday directed it not take up any construction-related activity for the new capital Amaravati until the necessary environmental clearances are acquired.
The NGT’s order came in response to a PIL filed by P. Srimannarayana of the city. The tribunal had earlier sought responses from the AP government, and the APCRDA commissioner had filed a counter.
After verifying the submissions, the tribunal ordered the government not to take up any work, including levelling of the grounds, said Mr Srimannarayana. He said that the tribunal asked the government if the land was demarcated category-wise and whether environmental clearances were acquired. The state government’s counsel sought time till November 5 to demarcate the land to be used for construction of the capital city, and acquire environmental clearances.
When contacted, the state government’s standing counsel refused to comment. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said that efforts were on to obtain all necessary clearances.
“The Tribunal only asked us to acquire permissions before starting work and we will get them soon. I am yet to go through the tribunal’s order,” Mr Naidu told the media here.
He said that many persons had tried to stop the construction of Amaravati and some had approached the tribunal, but no one can stop the development of the capital city that is being supported by thousands of farmers.
Meanwhile, APCRDA officials said environmental clearances from concerned departments are due on Monday.
Srimannarayana had submitted videos and pictures of ministers P. Narayana and others mowing down crops in the capital region with tractors as proof of construction activity under way in the capital region. The state government had in its counter-affidavit told the tribunal that there was no activity in the capital region and everything was in the planning stage and the stage of acquiring permissions has not come.
On July 27, counsel for the government had told the tribunal that the state was equally concerned about protecting the environment and will abide by all statutory requirements.
