NGT Says Govt Continues with Illegal Construction Work of Sitamma Sagar Project

HYDERABAD: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has observed that the state government has continued to undertake illegal construction of the Sitammasagar multipurpose project, in violation of its interim stay order.

In the order dated July 12, the NGT said that the illegal construction was evident as per the photographs submitted by the applicant, Tellam Naresh of Sitammanagaram of Dummagudem, as well as the report of the joint committee of the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) and the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB).

The NGT observed that the joint committee had found that between March 24 and June 28, the date of inspection, the state government had only performed decommissioning, demobilising or deshuttering work in order to halt the construction activity as directed by the tribunal.

It noted that these works did not reflect in the placement registers, which are mandatory records maintained at various critical entry points of the construction site for recording the day-to-day progress of the work.

The NGT said that the work on the project was in progress “without maintaining proper records and without obtaining EC (environmental clearance) which would vitiate the entire project because of the illegality.”

The tribunal also pointed out that it was not fair on the part of the GRMB to not take action against the project authority stating that that it was a state.

The NGT sought a clarification from the GRMB if the management board was aware of the subject and the duties and powers of the board. It questioned the GRMB for adverting the joint committee report by GRMB superintendent engineer and disowning responsibility on the subject.

The tribunal said that further deshuttering, decommissioning or demobilisation work was to be done only by the permission of the NGT as there was a stay order on the project. The act of the government without prior permission could be in violation of the tribunal order and be liable for contempt.

The tribunal asked for reports to be submitted by MoEFCC and GRMB on the actions taken for violation of orders by the state government and continued with the interim stay order on the project.