Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jul 5: The Chennai bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) has upheld the prayer of the petitioners to shift two of the four cases pending before it relating to Yettinahole project to the main bench of the court at New Delhi.

Advocates for petitioner, who appeared before the bench to argue the case posted on Monday July 4, stated that as per the law, cases relating to environment and forests need to be settled within six months, but these cases are lingnering at preliminary stage itself since the last two years. They said that the proceedings in the case will get prolonged if the cases are allowed to be heard by this bench, duly praying for transferring the case to main bench for speedy disposal. The bench agreed to the request and agreed for transfer of the case to the main bench.

Petitioner, Somashekhar, said that the applications relating to Yettinahole were being heard by one of the benches of NGT at Chennai. However, as the judge of the court retired on superannuation and its expert member, Prof Nagendran, voluntarily retired, the cases before that bench had to be transferred to the other bench. Arguments in the cases had reached an important stage when these developments took place, and the entire case will have to be presented and arguments have been placed afresh before the other bench. Therefore, a request was made to shift the case to the main bench, Somashekhar said. The other two cases could not be heard on Monday as advocates were not present. They have been adjourned to July 12, he added.

Somashekhar said that fight against Yettinahole project will continue till the issue reaches its logical end as it entails question of survival of River Netravati and its tributaries too.