INDIA TO SET UP NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL FOR SPEEDY DISPOSAL

The Environment and Forests Ministry has mooted a proposal to set up a National Green Tribunal to deal with civil issues related to environment and forests.

A Cabinet note in this regard has already been circulated to various Ministries for their comments before a Bill is finalised and tabled in Parliament, Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh told journalists here on Friday.

“The National Green Tribunal will be on the lines of the Central Administrative Tribunal, comprising [of] judges and experts in the environment,” he said.

But, the actual establishment will take some time as a legislature is needed for setting up such a body, Mr. Ramesh added.

Explaining that the proposed Tribunal will have a wide schedule of activities, Mr. Ramesh said the old National Environment Tribunal which was rejected by the Supreme Court, had a restricted mandate. He said he had already met the Attorney General who would convey to the Supreme Court’s Green Bench the purpose of the new Tribunal.

“The proposed Tribunal will not only help in speedy disposal of cases but also reduce the load on the courts,” he said.

On the existing bodies set up by the Supreme Court, the Minister said a fine balance would be struck between the judiciary and the executive and the Tribunal’s order could be challenged in the Supreme Court.

“The track record of the judiciary has been better than that of the executive on environment-related issues because [the] judiciary has stepped in when the executive had failed,” he said.

We hope for a closer working with the organisations set up by the executive and the judiciary, to ensure that the environmental laws are implemented, he added.

To increase transparency in obtaining environmental clearances, the Ministry decided to add more conditions . For instance, all pending projects will now be put on a website for public scrutiny. By June 30, the number of pending cases is expected to come down to 250 from over 733 in May.

“Within four to five months, we intend making the application process available online,” Mr. Ramesh said.

The project proponents will have to make public the annual environmental statement as mandated under the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986; a copy of the clearance letter and the status of compliance of the stipulated environmental clearance conditions.

Results of monitored data will also have to be made public, as well as the six-monthly reports on the status of the stipulated environmental clearance conditions.

Mr. Ramesh accepted the resignation of P. Abraham, IAS (Retd), as Chairman of the Expert Appraisal Committee for River Valley and Hydroelectric projects of the Ministry.

Mr. Abraham was also on the boards of several power companies which have interests in hydro-power.