Approach authorities, give them 15 days to explain stand before filing petition: NGT

The National Green Tribunal has asked the petitioners to approach the authorities concerned with their grievances and give them at least 15 days to explain their stand, before approaching it.

The green panel said such authorities must give their response either to the individual concerned or put the same on their website at the earliest to put an end to the dispute, reports PTI.

The apex environment watchdog made it clear that every applicant who approaches the NGT must indicate in the petition the "specific provision of a statue violated, substantiate questions of environment arising in the matter and the persons accountable for the same particularly, the public authorities".

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said if a person approaches the tribunal, then the responses received should be mentioned in the petition filed before it.

"This procedure may provide quicker remedy to the individuals and also enable the authorities to indicate their stand. This procedure may be normally followed unless an exception is made out at least from August 1, 2018.

"A copy of this order may be sent to Ministry of Environment and Forests for being conveyed to all the statutory authorities in the country by e-mail," the bench, also comprising Justices Jawad Rahim and Raghuvendra S Rathore, said.