HYDERABAD: The Telangana government’s pursuit of constructing two lift irrigation schemes without securing environmental clearances has landed the BRS-led state government in hot water, with the National Green Tribunal penalising it with a hefty Rs. 920.8 crore in penalties.
In its decision on a case related to the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS), as well as the Dindi Lift Irrigation Scheme (DLIS), the NGT on Thursday said it had “no hesitation” in stating that Telangana has made it a habit of project construction without seeking environment clearances by claiming such activity is in public interest with a hope of getting post-facto clearances.
Calling the violations ‘willful’, the NGT said “a state being a model citizen has disobeyed the procedure and attempted to circumvent the mandatory provisions in spite of a specific finding by the National Green Tribunal in Appeal No. 20 of 2018,” relating to the projects.
It said, “For the wilful violations” of its orders, “A penalty of Rs. 300 crore is imposed on the state which has to be paid to Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) within three months. The amount should be used for Krishna River restoration activities.”
It also said that “Telangana shall pay environmental compensation of Rs. 528 crore,” which works out to 1.5 per cent of the cost of the PRLIS, which is Rs. 35,200 crore. With respect to violations related to the Dindi project, the NGT said Telangana shall also pay environmental compensation of Rs. 92.85 crore, which works out to 1.5 per cent of the project cost of Rs.6,190 crore, taking the total penalties to Rs. 920.8 crore. This entire amount is to be deposited with KRMB in three months.
The tribunal further ordered Telangana against continuing work on both PRLIS and DLIS unless the required environmental clearances and other permissions, clearances and consents were obtained under the relevant laws from the competent authority.
It said a compliance report must be filed with the NGT on compliance of these orders by an oversight committee within a year.
The NGT’s orders were passed in a case that was filed by nine individuals in which the Government of India, the National Board for Wildlife, the KRMB, governments of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were made parties.
For Andhra Pradesh which was an applicant in the case, and for which Thursday’s NGT orders come as a shot in its arm as it had been objecting to Telangana taking up these projects, the case was argued by the state’s advocate general Subrahmanyam Sriram and Madhuri Donti Reddy, the NGT standing counsel for Andhra Pradesh.
