Judgement of the National Green Tribunal regarding damages caused to river Ganga and its aquatic life by hydraulic structures at Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, 14/09/2018
Judgement of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Bijay Krishna Sarkar & Others Vs Inland Waterways Authority of India & Others dated 14/09/2018. In this Original Application the applicant has sought relief and compensation for the damages caused to river Ganga and its aquatic life by hydraulic structures at Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal which has resulted into loss of the livelihood to the fisherman. Applicant’s claim for compensation is on account of the environmental damage caused by the barrages and projects like the underground guide wall at Haldia and dredging operations by Kolkata Port Trust, abstraction of water from the Ganga and breaking longitudinal connectivity of the riverbed and others.
National Green Tribunal while dismissing the Application said "that the cause of action in this application should have arisen when these projects were first approved and executed, which the applicant admitted were much before and in some cases almost 25 years before, the promulgation of NGT Act in 2010."