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The National Green Tribunal has ordered the halting of mining operations in and around the Kotturu reserve forest area in Andhra Pradesh.
The NGT, on May 12, 2023, directed the district magistrate of Vijayawada and the senior superintendent of police to take appropriate steps to curb illegal mining.
Private entities illegally carried out mining without any environmental clearance, alleged an applicant. Such activities have already caused significant damage to the environment.
The NGT directed the district collector of Tiruvallur and the commissioner of Avadi city municipal corporation to coordinate on evicting encroachers from Ambattur, Puzhal and Vilinjiyambakkam lakes in Tamil Nadu.
The lakes can be easily restored by removing encroachments and plugging sewage outfalls, NGT noted on May 12. The southern zone of the tribunal based in Chennai directed the authorities to file their independent compliance report.
A tender for constructing a common sewerage treatment plant at the lakes has been issued, the city commissioner informed the NGT. The construction of the common sewerage treatment plant at Vilinjiyambakkam lake has commenced, it added.
The Tamil Nadu government has sought more time from the NGT to file a report on the construction of micro composting centres in Tharamangalam municipality. The construction was supposed to be completed on or before May 31, 2023.
The bio-mining process is delayed due to a surge in the quantity of legacy waste, the government said.