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The Supreme Court has asked the Central government if the issue of the release of adequate water from the Sardar Sarovar Dam to the downstream areas of the Narmada River has been referred to the Narmada Control Authority.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta directed the government to apprise it about whether the matter was referred to the Narmada Control Authority, and if so, what is the outcome of the same. It has granted four weeks to the Ministry of Environment and Forests to inform it about the matter and posted the case for hearing on January 12, 2024. The top court in its order stated, "Counsel for the respondent(s) seeks and is granted four weeks' time to have instructions as to whether the matter was referred to the Narmada Control Authority, and if so, what the outcome of the same is. Post the matter for hearing on January 12, 2024." The apex court was hearing an appeal filed by the Narmada Pradushan Nivaran Samiti and the Bharuch Citizen Council challenging a 2019 order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) which declined to entertain the plea considering there was already a tribunal to adjudicate the matter. The NGT had said two bodies, the Water Dispute Tribunal and the Narmada Control Authority, were already constituted to look into the issues related to the river. The petition before the NGT had sought the release of adequate water from the Sardar Sarovar Dam to the downstream areas of the Narmada River. (ANI)
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