HYDERABAD: The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Chennai stayed the Karimnagar collector’s decision to exempt Telangana State Mineral Development Corporation from getting environmental clearances for sand mining at the Manair river, on the garb of de-silting and dredging dam projects.
The river banks fall in Vavilala, Utoor, Challur, Mallareddypally, Kondapaka, Korekal and Pothireddypally of Karimnagar district.
The NGT bench, headed by Justice Pushpa Satyanarayana, stated that the corporation and its contractors can only continue their operations if they obtained an environmental clearance.
The tribunal was responding to a petition alleging a lack of clearance for the entire exercise, claiming it to be exempted. The petition also mentioned that the tenders were for commercial purposes, but the collector issued exemptions in the guise of de-silting works.
The NGT issued notices to the parties concerned, directing them to file their submissions by July 5.
