NGT summons assessment panel members

SHIMLA: Perturbed over the shoddy manner in which the government has handled the issue of preparation of report by experts to assess the carrying capacity of Shimla hills, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered that all members of the expert committee should appear before it on February 22.

Houses constructed in a haphazard manner in Shimla.

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, February 19

Perturbed over the shoddy manner in which the government has handled the issue of preparation of report by experts to assess the carrying capacity of Shimla hills, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered that all members of the expert committee should appear before it on February 22.

The order was passed by a three-member Bench of the NGT, headed by Chairman Swatanter Kumar on February 16. Though the report of the expert committee, assessing the carrying capacity of Shimla and its suburbs with regard to fresh constructions and relaxing the ban on construction in 17 green belts, had been submitted, it was not signed by the members. The NGT gave one week to the government to get it signed.

The NGT, in its order on January 17, had ordered that the report with signatures of each members on the committee should be submitted. However, on the next hearing on February 6, the government counsel sought more time for getting the signatures of all experts.

“In the event of default, we will be compelled to pass coercive order as well as impose heavy cost on the state,” the court order of February 6 read.

It is reliably learnt that two experts have serious objections to certain contents of the report. As such, they are learnt to be reluctant to sign the report. The report is in favour of relaxing the ban on new constructions in 17 green belts, especially on the sandwiched plots.

The committee has eight members, including two government representatives — its Chairman, is Principal Secretary, Environment, and its Member Secretary is Director, Town and Country Planning.

The NGT, in its latest order on February 16, said, “This is the least expected from the state and the committee. The members are highly placed officers. They were expected to provide proper assistance to the Tribunal to arrive at a decision,” the court observed.

The other members include representatives of the National Disaster Management Authority, senior scientists from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology Dehradun, Union Ministry of Environment and Forest and Institute of Himalayan Research Research, ecological expert from the GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development.