The National Green Tribunal (NGT), in a significant development, on Wednesday has asked the Union Environment and Forest Ministry to set up a new committee to study the ‘overall aspect’ of the Lower Subansiri Hydro-electric Project.
With this direction, the NGT has literally overruled the earlier three-member committee set up by the Union Ministry over the Lower Subansiri Hydro-electric Project.
Taking up the petition filed by the Assam Public Works (APW), the NGT court of Justice Dr Jawad Rahim, Justice RS Rathore and Justice Dr Satyawan Garbyal asked the Union Environment and Forest Ministry to take a consensus before setting up the committee.
The NGT will again take up the case on May 8.
Earlier, Union Environment Ministry had set up a three-member committee consisting Dr Prabhas Pande, Dr ID Gupta and PM Scott. The APW had raised question over the appointment of Gupta and Scott.
Meanwhile, officials from the Environment and Forest Ministry, who were present in Wednesday’s hearing have informed the NGT that the Ministry is ready to re-examine the construction of Lower Subansiri dam.
In October, 2017, the Eastern Zone bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) asked the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests to constitute a three-member expert committee to review the Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Project, work on which has been stalled since 2011 over safety and environmental concerns.
The committee was supposed to have experts in geology, seismology, hydrology as well as the Northeastern region. One of the experts was supposed to be from the Northeastern region.
