Tamil Nadu moves Supreme Court against NGT order on Mekedatu

The Tamil Nadu government has approached the Supreme Court against the National Green Tribunal's order closing the proceedings on its plea to set up a committee on Karnataka's move on the proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir and drinking water project with an estimated cost of Rs 5912 crores.

Tamil Nadu was aggrieved with the order by the green tribunal passed on June 17, 2021.

The tribunal at New Delhi had then allowed a review application by Karnataka against the southern bench's order forming a joint committee for inspection on a news report on preliminary works allegedly being undertaken for the project.

In its plea, Tamil Nadu said, the tribunal failed to consider the environmental damage likely to be caused by the continuation of the construction works which involved a large extent of Reserve Forests and Wildlife Sanctuaries.

It also contended that the tribunal erred in holding that the issue was sub-judice before the top court which, in fact, pertained to the grant of permission for conducting a feasibility report and the detailed project report.

"The issue involved in the NGT was regard to the alleged initiation of activities in the reserved forest without any clearances," it said.

The state government further said the principal NGT bench proceeded to hear the review application, instead of relegating the applicant state of Karnataka to the southern bench which passed the order under review.