'Environment' trouble for new Andhra capital Amravati as NGT to take up PIL on April 4

The National Green Tribunal on Friday fixed April 4 as the date for hearing a PIL challenging environmental clearance given to Amravati, which is being developed as the new capital of Andhra Pradesh.

New Delhi: In a major trouble for N Chandra Babu-led government in Andhra Pradesh, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday fixed April 4 as the date for hearing a PIL challenging environmental clearance given to Amravati, which is being developed as the state's new capital.

The moves comes weeks after a petition was filed by the social activist and former IAS officer EAS Sharma in the National Green Tribunal, which questioned the environmental clearance to Amaravati.

Sharma had petitioned at NGT seeking the cancellation of the environmental clearance (EC) given by Andhra Pradesh State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority for the construction of new capital city at Amaravati.

The petition has made the Union of India, Capital Region Development Authority, State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority and A.P Pollution Control Board as the respondents.

Sharma, who has been opposing the establishment of new capital city Amaravati of divided Andhra Pradesh state from the starting, challenged the approval of Environmental Clearance by the SEIAA for setting up of the capital in the area of 217.234 sq. km covering 23 villages in Thulluru, Tadepalli and Mangalagiri mandals in Guntur District.

The petitioner said that the development of capital city was being done in the fertility-rich land and ecologically sensitive area, unidentified wetlands, forests, islands, streams and the river Krishna.

He also said that the decision to allow capital at Amaravati is also against the guidelines of the NGT and not in conformity with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests.