The National Green Tribunal (NGT) took Suo Motu cognizance of the issue that the road widening work on many stretches in the Nilgiris is going on without any Environment Impact Assessment (EIA).
The Application is registered suo-moto on the basis of the news item appearing in the daily newspaper dated 04.01.2024.
As per the said news item, the road widening work on many stretches in the Nilgiris is going on without any Environment Impact Assessment (EIA).
It is alleged that the road widening work is ill-planned and ill-thought-out along Ooty to Cooonoor and Kotagiri to Mettupalayam Roads and this has led to landslips along these stretches during spells of heavy rains in the district.
It is also alleged that road widening work is going on without following the environmental norms and damaging hills and impacting the ecology of the Nilgiris .
As per the said news item, the road widening work on many stretches in the Nilgiris is going on without any Environment Impact Assessment (EIA).
It is alleged that the road widening work is ill-planned and ill-thought-out along Ooty to Cooonoor and Kotagiri to Mettupalayam Roads and this has led to landslips along these stretches during spells of heavy rains in the district.
It is also alleged that road widening work is going on without following the environmental norms and damaging hills and impacting the ecology of the Nilgiris .
There is also the allegation that the Highways Department is widening roads as per standards applied to roads on flatter areas, making them extremely dangerous for hill roads and for traffic which will use these roads.
The news item raises substantial issue relating to compliance of the environmental norms.
“Power of the Tribunal to take up the matter in suo-motu exercise of power has been recognized by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the matter of “Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai vs. Ankita Sinha & Ors.” reported in 2021 SCC Online SC 897.”
Hence, the Principal Bench of Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Dr. A Senthil Vel implead the following as respondents in the matter:
i. Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board through its Member Secretary.
ii. District Collector/Deputy Magistrate, Nilgiris.
Since the matter relates to the Southern Zone Bench, Chennai, therefore , the Bench transferred the matter to the Southern Zone Bench for appropriate further action. Office is directed by the NGT to transfer the original record to the Southern Zone Bench and the matter is listed on 22.03.2024.