The Chennai Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) comprising Justices Pushpa Satyanarayana and K. Satyagopal has set aside the Environmental Clearance (EC) given by the State-level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) for the construction of Avulapalli balancing reservoir in Somala mandal of Chittoor district and imposed a fine of ₹100 crore on the State Water Resources Department.
Accordingly, the NGT ordered that the project works of Avulapalli, Mudivedu, and Nethiguntapalli reservoirs should be stopped forthwith for attempting to avoid the mandatory environmental impact study and public hearing, and an affidavit be filed in compliance with its order before May 25. It imposed a penalty of ₹100 crore on the Water Resources Department (WDR) / Project Proponent (PP) to be paid to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) within three months.
Further, the NGT ordered that an expert committee consisting of the senior most scientist from the Integrated Regional Office of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in Vijayawada, a senior engineer from the Central Pollution Control Board and a senior engineer of KRMB be constituted to assess the environmental damage already caused and arrive at the compensation to be levied on the PP.
