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Judgment
This Original Application has been registered under Section 14 and 15 of National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 (hereinafter referred to as ‘NGT Act, 2010’) on a letter petition dated 07.01.2023 from Shri Santhan Vellapalem, Residence of Village Totapalli Gudur Mandal, Distict Nellore, State of Andhra Pradesh.
The grievance is that there is an irrigation canal which is source of agriculture to the farmers including the complainant who is/are cultivating paddy for the last several decades. The source of water for irrigation is the said canal. However, in the recent times, some persons are drawing water from the canal for aqua agro activities like fisheries, etc. The polluted water drawn from canal is being retransmitted/discharged in the canal, polluting canal water, making it unfit for agriculture and thereby causing huge water pollution including contamination of ground water. The polluted water is also causing damage to farmers crops and yield of the crop has reduced by almost 50 %.
In our view, a substantial question relating to environment due to implementation of Scheduled Enactments under NGT Act, 2010 has arisen. However, before taking any further action in the matter we find it appropriate to obtain a factual report for the purpose whereof we constitute a Joint Committee comprising State PCB, Department of Fisheries, Coastal Aquaculture Authority, Chennai, Department of Irrigation and District Magistrate Nellore. State PCB shall be the nodal agency for coordination and compliance of this order.
The said committee shall visit the site, collect all relevant informations and submit a factual report within two months to the Registrar, Southern Zone Bench, Chennai by e-mail, preferably in the form of searchable PDF/ OCR Support PDF and not in the form of Image PDF, who shall place the matter before the Bench for further proceedings/orders.
Registry shall also transfer record of this matter to Southern Zone Bench, Chennai for further proceedings.
A copy of this order be forwarded to State PCB, Department of Fisheries, Coastal Aquaculture Authority, Chennai, Department of Irrigation and District Magistrate Nellore by e-mail for compliance.