Tribunal to hear all green cases

NEW DELHI: All cases on environmental issues — save those related to wildlife — will be transferred to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which is not fully operational even more than a year after it was set up.

The tribunal, functioning out of a Delhi guesthouse and severely short of manpower and infrastructure, could soon be flooded with additional cases as the Supreme Court has ordered that all environmental cases pending before high courts and future litigation be moved to the NGT.

Justice Swatanter Kumar’s decision will enhance the profile of National Green Tribunal (NGT), when it is awaiting the appointment of a new judge as the chairperson. The earlier chairperson, Justice L S Panta, had resigned a few months ago.

The tribunal has already dealt with some high-profile cases such as Posco Integrated Steel Plant in Odisha, but its wide-ranging impact can be felt when all ongoing and new cases across the country are put before the tribunal, consisting of judicial and expert members. NGT has been largely dealing with cases challenging green and forest clearances given to various projects.

The Supreme Court itself continues to hear many cases on environment, with the centrally empowered committee on forest-related cases advising the apex court on a large number of pending public interest litigations.