TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal on Tuesday slammed the Environment Ministry for failing to finalise its report on the ecological degradation of the Western Ghat regions despite its warning of stringent action.
In an order passed on the lingering petition of the Goa Foundation, it, however, grudgingly accepted the ministry’s plea to grant at least one month’s time for compliance of its August 30 order to accept or state otherwise on two expert committees headed by Dr Gadgil and Dr Kasturirangan to examine the issue of the region’s ecology.
Its 5-member Bench, headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar, however, slapped a token penalty of Rs 25,000, “conditional to the extension of time,” with a warning that the ministry’s secretary shall be present in person before it if the final report is not placed before it in the next hearing fixed on November 12.
The Tribunal was, however, critical of the ministry that it got reports of two expert committees as early as April and it has not been able to finalise its stance on these reports despite repeated grant of time, nor did it issue any appropriate directions either to the states in the matter.
Decrying the ministry for forcing the tribunal adjourn a number of cases related to environment issues on the Western Ghats, the Bench said: “It is hampering the administration of justice by the Tribunal. We certainly would expect better sandards of performance by the ministry and compliance of the directions issued by it.”
Meanwhile, the Tribunal also directed the state governments of Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka to submit their comments on the expert reports to the ministry within two weeks, failing which they would not be permitted to claim that the ministry did not consult them.
