Green Tribunal calls for action on consultant

CHENNAI: A Circuit Bench of the National Green Tribunal has set aside the clearance provided to the Chennai Corporation’s proposed solid waste management facility in Perungudi.  When the counsel for the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority said the board had followed Corporation of Chennai in this matter, expert member of the tribunal, R Nagendran, said, “With so many engineers and experts at your disposal, how can you blindly follow what the Corporation said?” Further, the bench, accepting a prayer from the appealant’s counsel, observed that the Environment Impact Assessment consultant for the project, who gave the details regarding the distance, “must be dealt with seriously” and said they may be warned in writing.The Circuit Bench of the National Green Tribunal then set aside the environment cleanrance (EC) provided to the project holding that the Central government alone was the competent authority to examine the EC for Category A projects and directed the project proponents to file fresh applications with the competent agency.