SC to examine plea against encroachment of Andhra's Kolleru Lake

New Delhi, May 19 The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to examine a plea raising concerns about the destruction and encroachment of the Kolleru Lake in Andhra Pradesh, one of the largest freshwater lakes in India.

A bench of CJI B.R. Gavai and Justice A.G. Masih issued notice in the matter and sought responses from the Centre, National Wetlands Authority, Andhra Pradesh government, and other authorities arrayed as respondents in the petition.

Kolleru Lake, a Ramsar site located in Andhra Pradesh, was declared a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention in 2002.

As per the petition, encroachments and illegal constructions have posed a significant threat to the ecological balance of Kolleru Lake, a vital habitat for numerous migratory bird species.

The plea, filed through advocate Neha Rai, sought the top court’s intervention against the proposed Andhra Pradesh’s “unauthorised and environmentally detrimental” project to mitigate salinity in the ecologically sensitive Kolleru Lake, which was initiated without obtaining mandatory environmental clearances or conducting any scientific study.

Earlier, the appellant, Dr Patanjali Sastry, an eminent environmental and social activist with a distinguished record of public service in ecological conservation, had moved the National Green Tribunal (NGT) seeking a declaration that the proposed project was violative of environmental statutes, and sought formation of an independent expert committee to assess the ecological impact and identify encroachments.

He had also sought directions for the removal of encroachments and restoration of the lake to its original status, and imposition of exemplary penalties on violators.

In his appeal filed before the Supreme Court, the appellant said that while NGT issued directions in respect of compliance with environmental laws, it failed to pass any orders on other substantive and critical prayers, thereby rendering its decision non-speaking, incomplete, and legally unsustainable.

The green tribunal egregiously failed to adjudicate upon the other substantive prayers, despite being presented with compelling documentary evidence, including government reports, photographs, and official correspondence confirming the widespread encroachment and ecological degradation of Kolleru lake, contended the appeal.

“Such failure amounts to non-application of mind and dereliction of the statutory duty vested in the Tribunal under Sections 14 and 15 of the NGT Act, 2010,” the appeal added.

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