The National Green Tribunal would on Thursday hear arguments of the Kerala government, which has been accused of sanctioning temporary permits for quarries in the Western Ghats in violation of Supreme Court directives.
Kerala is expected to deny the allegations and has mentioned in an affidavit that it has not violated SC directives.
Kerala is to argue that it has allowed only existing quarries to operate. The central Environment Ministry had stipulated, based on recommendations of the Kasturirangan report, that quarries need to be shut down in environmentally sensitive areas in five years or when their permits cease.
The Supreme Court had earlier stipulated that quarrying and sand mining should be strictly regulated and controlled, especially in ecologically sensitive areas. The Goa Foundation, which has filed the complaint against Kerala, said that Kerala was wilfully bypassing this order.
The Goa Foundation has provided as evidence, the copy of the government order dated March 10, that allowed resumption of quarrying. According to the foundation, about 2000 quarries are operating in ecologically sensitive zones in the Western Ghats and the state has plans to issue more licenses.It also alleged that permission for quarrying were given flouting existing norms and stipulations.
