NGT slaps penalty of Rs 2 crore on TN govt over delay in removal of encroachments in Chennai

The National Green Tribunal has slapped a penalty of Rs 2 crore on the Tamil Nadu government over the inordinate delay in removal of the encroachments along and prevention of pollution of Adyar and Cooum rivers in Chennai.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel slammed the state government over poor pre-monsoon preparedness and asked its Public Works Department to deposit the amount within 15 days with the Central Pollution Control Board.

The tribunal directed the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary to look into the matter directly and ensure that the steps are taken on an urgent basis in the interest of the environment and the people.

"On perusal of the reports of the Principal Secretary, Public Works Department, Tamil Nadu, we find that it is replete with vagueness and no instances of tangible action taken for mitigation of the problems having been stated. In so far as the work on the Buckingham Canal is concerned, it appears to have been taken under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission Scheme and only administrative sanction for estimated amount of Rs 603.67 crore appears to have been obtained.

"That apart, we find action taken for pre-monsoon preparedness for the years 2017 and 2018 have been placed at an estimated at the cost of Rs 70 lakh and Rs 80.50 lakh respectively but the works undertaken appears only to be removal of floating materials," the bench said.

The green panel said that the report on removal of the encroachments was equally disappointing as it states that out of total 26,300 encroachments taken together, only 408 have been evicted leaving the balance of 25,892 encroachments still to be dealt with.

The NGT refused to agree with the submission that the delay in the removal of encroachments was due to pending litigations and said the "answer is absolutely vague as no particulars have been furnished as regards the number of the encroachers who have approached the courts and its present status".

The tribunal's order came while hearing a bunch of pleas relating to pollution of Adyar and Cooum rivers in Chennai and Buckingham Canal.

The plea alleged that there was uncontrolled discharge of effluent from different industries and untreated sewage directly into the water, besides encroachment on the banks of the rivers by construction of different structures.