Removal of sand from the Pampa river

 

Removal of sand from the Pampa river

• The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has justified the removal of sand from the Pampa river before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), claiming that the tribunal lacked the jurisdiction over the decisions taken under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005
• A report has been filed before the Southern Bench of the tribunal that took suo motu notice of a report ‘Forest dept. told to permit sand removal from Pampa
• The State respondents were told to file their independent responses as well regarding the circumstances under which the National Disaster Management Act was invoked for the purpose of desilting. They were asked to explain the circumstances that led them to take such an immediate action without following the necessary procedures
• The member­secretary of the KSDMA said in his report that only the Supreme Court or the Kerala High Court can entertain any suit or proceedings concerning the orders issued by the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Pathanamthitta. The sand removal had snowballed into a controversy after the State Forest Department revoked an order issued by the District Collector, Pathanamthitta, permitting Kerala Clays and Ceramic Products to transport costly river sand from Triveni at Pampa.