NGT asks Telangana government to set up medical committee

Hyderabad: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) bench at Chennai has come to the rescue of villagers who have been living with and suffering from the pollution caused by the Patancheru and Bollarum industrial areas.

In its judgment delivered on Tuesday, the NGT directed the Telangana government to constitute a committee comprising the director of medical education, experts from the fields of infectious diseases, and dermatologists, to conduct a study of antimicrobial resistance in the villages within the Manjra river basin upto Nakkavagu in Sangareddy district. 

The bench of Justice Dr P. Jyotimani and P.S. Rao (expert member), in its 370-page judgment directed that a Patancheru-Bollarum Environment Relief Fund be constituted with contributions from industries in the industrial hub of the Patancheru industrial area.

The bench also directed the state government to establish a super specialty hospital for treating the occupational hazards of the villagers with 75 per cent of the money contributed by the industries and the remaining by the state, with the state running the hospital. 

While rejecting the allegation that these industries are causing antimicrobial resistance through pollution, the bench directed the state government to file a status report once in six months from April 24, 2018 before its Registry at Chennai. 

The bench permitted the Pollution Control Board to consider applications for expansion of the industries provided it was for the public good and provided the industry in question deposits one per cent of its annual turnover of the previous year.

The tribunal directed the HMWWSB to continue to provide potable water to all the villages in the area till the lakes are rejuvenated. 

The bench observed that its directions are in addition to the mandatory obligations of the industries as CSR under the Indian Companies Act.