Expert panel set up on LI project.

The Southern Zone Bench of the National Green Tribunal has appointed a three-member expert committee to be headed by Prof. Yousuf, a former Member-Expert on NGT, and a representative each from the Central Water Commission and the Ministry of Environment and Forest to report to it on the issues related to the Palamuru-Ranga Reddy lift irrigation project in Telangana being heard by the tribunal.

The judge directed that the expert committee would examine whether a drinking water project could be implemented without constructing an irrigation component, as being argued by the Telangana Government, and whether construction was going on in forest areas as alleged by the petitioner, with the next date of hearing being July 19.

The costs of the committee would be borne by the applicant (petitioner) subject to the outcome of the case. During the hearing on the petition filed by B. Harsha Vardhan, the NGT Bench took the decision on appointing the expert committee as sought by the petitioner in Chennai on Tuesday. According to the Telangana Government officials who were present during the hearing, the bench had stated that the expert committee was being set up not because the applicant had filed an application for it, but the bench had felt the need for expert assistance.

THE HINDU