The National Green Tribunal has formed a panel and asked it to submit its finding over the pollution of River Vashistha Godavari in Andhra Pradesh.
The NGT was hearing a plea claiming that the municipality of Narsapur, a town in the state’s west Godavari district, had been dumping garbage in the river and its flood bank for the past several years in violation of the Coastal Zone Regulations and Solid Waste Management Rules.
In its order dated November 4, a bench of judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member Afroz Ahmad framed a prima facie view that there was a substantial question relating to environment on the basis of the complaint and accompanying photographs.
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"But before taking any further action in the matter, we find it appropriate to obtain a factual report for which we constitute a joint committee," said the bench.
It said the committee would comprise the district magistrate of West Godavari, the Andhra Pradesh State Pollution Control Board, the State Coastal Zone Management Authority and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
While posting the matter on January 7, 2025, the NGT said, "CPCB shall be the nodal authority for coordination and compliance and it shall collect relevant information after visiting the site and submit a factual report with the southern zonal bench in Chennai within two months."
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