NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal has sought a response from the director common of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education and others on the alleged lack of mangroves in Visakhapatnam due to urbanisation. The inexperienced physique had taken suo motu (by itself) cognisance of a newspaper report, which stated that the erstwhile sprawling coastal ecosystems had been decreased to “mere patches”, elevating severe considerations amongst environmentalists about coastal safety and biodiversity loss.
In an order dated November 22, a bench of National Green Tribunal Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava stated, “The information merchandise highlights that the lack of mangroves poses a severe danger to each coastal safety and biodiversity as mangroves play a vital position in stopping shoreline erosion and offering habitat for varied fowl species.”
“It is alleged that the variety of mangrove and halophyte patches has sharply decreased through the years,” it additional stated.
The bench, additionally comprising Judicial Member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and Expert Member A Senthil Vel, famous the report in regards to the affect on fowl biodiversity being “extreme” and the Meghadri Gedda space related with the Bay of Bengal close to Visakhapatnam harbour “exemplifying” the decline.
The tribunal stated, “The above matter signifies a violation of the provisions of the Coastal Regulation Zone notifications, Biodiversity Act, Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, and the Environment Protection Act.”
It impleaded as events or respondents the director common of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education in Dehradun; member secretaries of the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board, Central Pollution Control Board and the Andhra Pradesh Coastal Zone Management Authority; regional workplace of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; vice-chairman of the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority; and the Visakhapatnam district Justice of the Peace.
“Issue discover to the above respondents for submitting their response or reply by means of affidavit earlier than the southern zonal bench of the tribunal (in Chennai),” the inexperienced physique stated.
The matter has been posted to January 10 for additional proceedings.
