Telangana govt. fined ₹ 920 crore for going ahead with twin irrigation projects.

The Chennai bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a fine of ₹ 920 crore on Telangana government for construction of Palamuru-Rangareddy and Dindi lift-irrigation projects without environmental clearance and other approvals.

The tribunal, in its order on Thursday, said that the fine amount of ₹ 920 crore included environmental compensation of ₹ 528 crore for Palamuru-Rangareddy project and ₹ 92.85 crore for Dindi project. Both the amounts were 1.5 per cent of the total cost of respective projects (₹ 35,200 crore is total cost of PR project and ₹ 6,190 crore for Dindi). The tribunal also levied a penalty of ₹ 300 crore for wilful disobedience by the government to its interim order issued earlier to stop work on the projects for not getting the clearances. The amount should be deposited with the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) within three months. It shall be utilised for Krishna river restoration activities.

The order was issued in the backdrop of a complaint filed by Andhra Pradesh government seeking penalty to Telangana for defying a direction issued by the tribunal to stop work in October last year. The order was repeated three months later with a warning to the Telangana government that it will invite contempt of court proceedings if the work was found to be continuing. AP had contended in its petition that Telangana was permitted only pre-construction activity on the projects but proceeded with entire project works.

The tribunal asked the KRMB to study the nature of work undertaken by Telangana on the twin projects. The board then formed a team which inspected the sites and submitted a report. In its reply, Telangana government informed the tribunal that it had to continue the work in disobedience of the earlier order only under ‘compelling circumstances’.

The Chennai bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a fine of ₹ 920 crore on Telangana government for construction of Palamuru-Rangareddy and Dindi lift-irrigation projects without environmental clearance and other approvals.

The tribunal, in its order on Thursday, said that the fine amount of ₹ 920 crore included environmental compensation of ₹ 528 crore for Palamuru-Rangareddy project and ₹ 92.85 crore for Dindi project. Both the amounts were 1.5 per cent of the total cost of respective projects (₹ 35,200 crore is total cost of PR project and ₹ 6,190 crore for Dindi). The tribunal also levied a penalty of ₹ 300 crore for wilful disobedience by the government to its interim order issued earlier to stop work on the projects for not getting the clearances. The amount should be deposited with the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) within three months. It shall be utilised for Krishna river restoration activities.

The order was issued in the backdrop of a complaint filed by Andhra Pradesh government seeking penalty to Telangana for defying a direction issued by the tribunal to stop work in October last year. The order was repeated three months later with a warning to the Telangana government that it will invite contempt of court proceedings if the work was found to be continuing. AP had contended in its petition that Telangana was permitted only pre-construction activity on the projects but proceeded with entire project works.

The tribunal asked the KRMB to study the nature of work undertaken by Telangana on the twin projects. The board then formed a team which inspected the sites and submitted a report. In its reply, Telangana government informed the tribunal that it had to continue the work in disobedience of the earlier order only under ‘compelling circumstances’.

Besides the fine of ₹ 920 crore, the tribunal disposed of AP government’s petition asking Telangana not to proceed with the projects without getting environmental clearances and submitting the project report to KRMB for appraisal and the Apex Council headed by the Union Minister for Jal Shakti for approval and sanction. Telangana was restrained from proceeding with the work without getting environmental clearance

Since more than 75 per cent of the project works was completed without Environmental Impact Assessment study and environmental clearance, the Ministry of Environment and Forest was directed to constitute a committee of experts to go into mitigation, rehabilitation and restoration measures.

THE HINDU