Lok Sabha Question No. 6132 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-04-11
Subject: National Green Tribunal
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: GAJANAN CHANDRAKANT KIRTIKAR, KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH, VIJAY KUMAR S.R., BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO, M. K. RAGHAVAN, SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD, SUDHEER GUPTA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 6132

TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.04.2017

## National Green Tribunal

## 6132.  SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

SHRI KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH:

SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

SHRI M.K. RAGHAVAN:

DR. SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD:

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) the aims, objectives and jurisdiction of the National Green Tribunal(NGT);
- (b) the details of the structure of the said  Tribunal  along  with  the location of its benches in the country;
- (c) the number of cases brought before the said Tribunal along with those disposed off;
- (d) whether there is  any proposal to start a separate zonal bench of the NGT in the States including Kerala;
- (e) if  so,  details  thereof  along  with  the  action  being  taken/proposed  to  be  taken  by  the Government in this regard, State/UT-wise; and
- (f) the corrective measures taken/being taken for speedy disposal of cases in NGT?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIORNMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)

(a)  The National Green Tribunal (NGT) was established under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010  for  effective  and  expeditious  disposal  of  cases  relating  to  environmental  protection  and conservation  of  forests  and  other  natural  resources  including  enforcement  of  any  legal  right relating to environment and giving relief and compensation for damages to persons and property and for the matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. The Tribunal has jurisdiction over all civil cases where a substantial question relating to environment is involved which arises out of the implementation of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977, the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980,     the Air  (Prevention  and  Control  of  Pollution)  Act,  1981,   the  Environment  (Protection)  Act, 1986,   the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 and  the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.

- (b)    The  NGT  consists  of  a  Chairperson,  not  less  than  ten  but  subject  to  maximum  of  twenty Judicial Members, and not less than ten but subject to maximum of twenty Expert Members. The Principal Bench of NGT is located at New Delhi and Zonal Benches are located at Pune, Bhopal, Chennai and Kolkata.
- (c)   During the period July, 2011 to January, 2017, the total number of cases filed before NGT were 23,626 out of which 19,066 cases have been disposed off.

(d) & (e)  There is no proposal currently under consideration to set up a separate Zonal Bench of the NGT in Kerala or other States.

- (f)    The  cases  filed  before  the  Tribunal  are  being  dealt  with  expeditiously  and  nearly  80%  of cases filed have been disposed off.

*****