NGT questions Andhra's plans to elevate Amaravati land around Krishna floodplains

In October last year, the NGT extended the stay on construction activity of Amaravati.
NGT questions Andhra's plans to elevate Amaravati land around Krishna floodplains
NGT questions Andhra's plans to elevate Amaravati land around Krishna floodplains
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The National Green Tribunal (NGT), which is presently hearing a petition against construction of Andhra’s new capital Amaravati on the banks of the River Krishna, expressed doubts over the state's plans to elevate the 10,000-acre capital city to protect it from getting flooded.

The Deccan Chronicle reported:

The NGT wondered whether it would be viable to elevate the capital city over such a large extent. The NGT heard two petitions, filed by retired IAS officer E.A.S. Sharma and Mr Bolishetty Satyanarayana. Senior advocate Sanjay Parekh, who argued for the petitioners, told the NGT that Kondaveeti Vaagu floods about 13,500 acres. The three-member NGT bench headed by Justice Swatantra Ku-mar asked Mr Parekh whether the AP government had plans to elevate the land. Mr Parekh said the environment impact assessment stated that it would be elevated.

In October last year, the NGT extended the stay on construction activity of Amaravati, and directed the state not to bulldoze agricultural fields or clear the land in the area.

Prohibiting construction, the NGT had said "Stay orders prohibiting all kinds of construction in the capital city zone will continue. Do not take up even land leveling work and do not remove any crop from this zone."  

However, the government has since gone ahead with its plan and laid the foundation stone for the capital.

The government faced another hurdle in August this year, after the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the Union ministry of environment, forests and climate change reportedly turned down the state's proposal to use about 13,000 hectares of forest land for construction projects.

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