The Eastern Bench of NGT has issued notice to the NHAI and NHIDC for cutting of earth/mountain in an improper manner and dumping of stones/boulders and muck into a river in Arunachal Pradesh.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued the notice to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and National Highway & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDC) on the basis of a petition filed by environmental activist Rakhini Mipi.
According to a media report, petitioner Rakhini Mipi, who is an environmental activist from Anini in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Dibang Valley approached the NGT in connection with the improper road widening of the National Highway connecting Roing in Lower Dibang Valley and Anini.
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The National Highway authorities have been working to connect Roing with Anini in two sections from Roing to Hunli and Hunli to Anini.
According to Mipi, the National Highway authorities “had dumped stones and muck out of nominated dumping area” during the construction of the road (200 km stretch) from Roing to Anini.
The petitioner alleged as quoted by the report: “While widening the road from Roing to Anini, the NHAI, the NHIDC, and the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change are dumping its waste and muck on forest land and river in Anini district, contrary to the environmental norms and in violation of EC conditions and Construction and Demolition Waste management Rules, 2016.”
Mipi alleged that the trees have been felled in large numbers violating the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.
The DFO and Conservator of Forests of Arunachal Pradesh are also respondents to the petition as well as the Central Pollution Control Board and the State Pollution Control Board.
The NGT asked the respondents to file their counter-affidavits within four weeks and exchange the same among themselves and the petitioner.