Green tribunal takes note of ‘muck dumping’ in Sutlej river

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken cognisance of a complaint alleging illegal dumping of muck into the Sutlej during blasting activities for the construction of the Sunni Dam hydroelectric project in Shimla district’s Sunni tehsil. The matter came to light through a letter petition filed by Mahendra Verma, which prompted the Tribunal to act on its own motion.

A Bench comprising Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and Expert Member Dr Afroz Ahmad has listed the case for hearing on December 18. The Tribunal noted that while the applicant raised serious environmental concerns, he had not attached any supporting evidence or appeared before the court.

The NGT has directed that Verma be informed about the next hearing and asked to provide relevant materials supporting his claims. He may participate in the proceedings either physically or via video conferencing on the scheduled date.