Karnataka News: NGT asks MSCL to stop waterfront project in Mangaluru
Mangaluru. Mangaluru: The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Southern Zone, Chennai has restrained Mangaluru Smart City Limited (MSCL) from carrying out work on the riverbank in the CRZ area under the Netravati Waterfront Promenade project in Mangaluru till the next hearing.
The NGT issued the interim orders based on a complaint filed by the National Environment Care Federation (NECF). “Though only the work on the riverbank is restrained, it has been made clear to MSCL that if any work is carried out in violation of the imposed conditions, the structures will be demolished, along with heavy costs imposed,” the order said.
The NGT had recently ordered the formation of a joint committee to submit a detailed report on the project. The tribunal had asked the joint committee members to submit a report before June 24. Any failure to inspect and submit the report will attract costs to be paid personally by the joint committee members, it noted.
The Karnataka SCZMA (Karnataka State Coastal Zone Management Authority) has confirmed that certain works were carried out by MSCL in violation of NOC conditions, particularly on the riverbank in the CRZ area. SCZMA officials had inspected the site on May 30 and found that at one site, work was carried out in the CRZ-IB area in violation of NOC conditions. The applicant had submitted photographs highlighting the violations and the photographs were taken capturing latitude and longitude details on various dates to claim that construction work was going on in the CRZ area, destroying mangrove forest and violating the conditions imposed in the NOC. The tribunal has expressed displeasure over the joint committee, which was constituted by the principal bench of the NGT, for failing to submit the report. The National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) failed to nominate a member to the joint committee. The tribunal also expressed displeasure on noting that the DK deputy commissioner (who is also a member of the joint committee and nodal officer) had not taken effective steps to obtain nominations from the NCCR.
