Hyderabad: The Telangana State Government defended its actions before the National Green Tribunal (South Zone) in Chennai, for taking up the Palamuru Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme without clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, contending that clearances are not required for drinking water projects.
The tribunal, on December 14, 2016, had granted an interim stay in response to a petition filed by B. Harshvardhan, a resident of Hyderabad. Harshvardhan had challenged the government’s decision to go ahead and commence the first phase of the project and clear 279 hectares of forest land, without the necessary environmental clearances. Later, on January 3, 2017, a division bench of the Hyderabad High Court suspen-ded the stay order and remanded the matter to the tribunal, asking it to pass appropriate orders after asking the TS government to file a counter claim.
The state government, in its counter claim, has stated that the project was undertaken in order to provide drinking water and water for industrial use to 1,131 villages and to Hyderabad city. The project is expected to benefit three districts, by picking up 120 TMC ft of floodwater from the Krishna River within 60 days during the flood season. The state government has asked for the hearing to be postponed to February 10.
