Green Tribunal bill to be introduced

NEW DELHI: The government is expected to introduce a draft legislation this week to set up a National Green Tribunal (NGT) for deciding civil matters related to the environment.

Talking to reporters after launching the Bengal Tiger Conservation Programme, Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said he hoped that the bill be cleared soon by the Parliament as the Ministry had got full support from the Law Commission and other concerned stake holders.

“The Cabinet has already approved the proposal of the Ministry of Environment and Forests to bring a bill in this regard, proposing to take off the pressure from the already overburdened judiciary by handling all the civil cases related to forestry and environment,” he said. Once approved by Parliament, the four-member tribunal led by a full-time judicial member will decide civil cases relating to the central environment-related laws, and also take up public interest litigations.

Appeals against the environment courts would go to the Supreme Court. The new tribunal will also replace government bodies such as the National Environment Tribunal Act of 1995 and the National Environmental Appellate Authority Act of 1997.

Failure to comply with the orders of the green tribunal would result in heavy penalty and imprisonment of three years, as per the draft legislation.

Press Release:Link is http://www.pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=51426

Rajya Sabha

The draft National Green Tribunal Bill, 2009 has been approved by the Cabinet in its meeting held on 23.07.2009.The Ministry of Environment and Forests submitted a Note for the Cabinet on 17.7.09 proposing establishment of the National Green Tribuna. The Ministry of Environment and Forests does not issue “No Objection Certificate”. However, environmental clearances are given to industrial and infrastructure projects under the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006 and the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 1991. Similarly, under the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980, prior approval of the Central Government is essential for diversion of forest land for non-forestry purposes. This is to regulate the indiscriminate diversion of forest land for non forestry use and to maintain a logical balance between the developmental needs of the country and the conservation of natural resources.

Minister of State for the Ministry of Environment and Forests (Independent charge) Shri Jairam Ramesh replied in a written question by Shri Motilal Vora in Rajya Sabha today.