Mangaluru: National Environment Care Federation (NECF) secretary Shashidhar Shetty said that the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Southern Zone, Chennai, directed the Mangaluru Smart City Limited (MSCL) to strictly adhere to the CRZ Notification, 2011.Shetty told reporters here on Tuesday, that the NECF filed a petition before the NGT against the cycle track project being implemented by the MSCL, by the side of the river in Bolar. The MSCL has taken up a cycle track and walking path project, which was illegal, Shetty said, and demanded that the work carried out so far should be cleared as per the NGT’s directions.The NGT, in its order issued on March 24, directed the project proponent (MSCL) to strictly adhere to the CRZ Notification, 2011. Further, the NGT directed the MSCL to strictly adhere to the conditions imposed in the CRZ clearance, and all other applicable statutory provisions, particularly as the project is already under the radar of not only the NGT, but also the environmental activists. “It would therefore be appropriate for the project proponent to strictly comply with the applicable rules, regulations and imposed conditions to ensure the seamless execution of the project,” Shetty said, quoting the NGT judgment delivered by Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, judicial member.He said that the NECF has been taking up legal battles to protect land and water resources in the past 25 years. “We demand that the MSCL should stop unauthorised works and all illegal structures developed by them should be destroyed. An action taken report on the NGT’s order should be submitted to the NECF within 15 days. We will have to appeal to the NGT again if the tribunal’s directions were not adhered to,” he added.
