Green tribunal pulls up environment ministry over Yamuna damage

The National Green Tribunal, which works directly under the Supreme Court of India, has pulled up the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) for moving at a snail's pace in examining the damage caused by illegal mining activities on the Yamuna riverbed between Noida and Faridabad.

A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar expressed concern that MoEF, even after a month after its earlier orders, has not appointed its representative to the committee constituted by it.

The tribunal on 18 February had constituted a committee of representative of MoEF, a senior officer from Indian Air Force, senior scientists from the Pollution Control Board of Haryana, a senior officer of mining department of Haryana, and one professor to be nominated by the vice chancellor from Guru Jambheshwar University, Haryana to survey the illegal mining.

''The directions contained in the order dated 18 February 2015 have not been complied with. Furthermore, the committee constituted under the order has not even met as yet. We are informed that the MoEF has not appointed its representatives,'' the bench noted.

The tribunal directed the committee to meet within one week and submit its report to it on next date of hearing.

It said that the member secretary of Haryana Pollution Control Board shall act as a nodal officer and will be responsible for the submission of the report to the tribunal.

The matter is listed for further hearing on 1 May.