Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Project work, taken up at the cost of Rs 32,500 Cr (could be more by the time of completion) by the Telangana government, has come to a halt.
The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal in Chennai issued an interim order of Injunction to prevent ‘irreparable and irreversible injury to the environment.’
Justice K. Ramakrishnan of the NGT responded to a petition filed by Mr. Chandramouleswara Reddy of YSR Kadapa and eight others, who complained that the ‘Environment Impact Assessment’ was not conducted, and no clearances were secured.
The petitioners further submitted that the Krishna River Management Board gave no approval for the PRLI project.
Telangana means to supply water for irrigation in Nagarkurnool, Mahabubnagar, Vikarabad, Rangareddy, and Nalgonda districts; drinking water to GHMC and elsewhere; water for Industrial use.
The NGT said –
“The main contention of Telangana was that they are proceeding with the drinking water project for which permission has been granted by this Tribunal in O.A. No. 273 of 2016, but the Joint Committee reported that 7.5 TMC would suffice for the purpose, but six reservoirs capable of holding 90 TMC are being built.”
The court conceded that the project could benefit the Flouride-affected and drought-prone areas in Telangana, but environmental laws cannot be overlooked in an integrated project (Project intended for Irrigation and Drinking Water) it said.
Here is the gist of the NGT’s order of Injunction –
“When there is infraction of environmental laws enumerated under Schedule 1 of National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, then the Tribunal has got powers under Section 19(4) of the Act to grant interim relief to the party to the proceedings, restraining the violating party from proceeding with the project without obtaining an Environment Clearance.”
The matter is now pending before the Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change, where the Telangana government has already filed for clearance.