NGT Holds AP Lift Irrigation Projects; Blow To AP Govt

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has shocked the AP government as it acknowledged that three lift irrigation projects i.e, Pattiseema, Purushothampatnam and Chintalapudi have no environmental clearances.

However, the NGT agreed with the Union Jal Shakti ministry that these lift irrigation projects are not part of Polavaram project. As Polavaram is a national project, NGT asked the union ministry for its clarification.

NGT further ordered the state government to take environmental clearances first and then go ahead with their constructions. Pattiseema and Chintalapudi are already in construction stages while Purushothampatnam is yet to be started.

The NGT then appointed a committee to estimate the penalty for the construction of these projects without permissions and the committee will have central environmental ministry officials, State Pollution Control Board officials and Collectors of Godavari districts.

The committee needs to submit their report within the next six months.

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