On Tuesday, the Hyderabad High Court granted relief by removing the stay order that was put by the National Green Tribunal, Chennai on dam construction until January 17, 2017. The NGT put forward that Telangana State Government should not proceed with any action plan in the first phase of Palamuru-Ranga Reddy Lift Irrigation Scheme. By suspending this order the HC provided relief for the Telangana State Government.
On December 14, 2016, the NGT granted an interim stay based on the plea of B. Harshwardhan, a resident of Hyderabad. He challenged the government’s act in going forward with the first phase of this project without taking forest or environmental clearances.The first phase of the lift irrigation project needs 279 hectares of forest to be cleared, which was challenged by Harshwardhan.
The Telangana State Government pleaded the High Court stating the Stay order by NGT as unjust, illegal and without jurisdiction. K. Rama Krishna Reddy, Telangana State advocate-general, argued for the Telangana State in front of the acting Judge Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Shankar Narayana. He put forward that the NGT passed the stay without giving the Telangana State Government to present their side of the case of documents. The Hyderabad High Court suspended the stay and gave the Telangana State Government a green flag for the project.
