Yettinahole: NGT refuses to entertain further plea

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday refused to entertain a further plea on whether works for Yettinahole drinking water project started without getting green clearances.

The NGT bench, headed by Swatanter Kumar, observed that since its Chennai bench has already disposed of the matter maintaining that drinking water project has been exempted from obtaining environment and forest clearance,   the petitioner should approach the Supreme Court, instead of approaching the Principal Bench of the NGT.

Though advocates Hrathvik Datta and Prince Issac, representing petitioner K N Somashekhar, argued that there are differences between the original petition and the one filed before the Principal Bench, the judge refused to go into the merit of the petition. However, the bench agreed to consider two other petitions related to the project filed by Somashekhar and Kishor Kumar and posted the matter for hearing on March 21.

Advocates Naveen Nath and Ashok Devaraj, representing the government  Karnataka, said the project is being implemented after taking all required permissions.