NGT Slaps ?100 Cr Penalty on Andhra Govt

The National Green Tribunal has slapped an interim penalty of Rs 100 crore on the Andhra Pradesh government for inaction to prevent illegal sand mining in the state. The green panel said it is the duty of the government to provide complete protection to the natural resources as a trustee of the public at large. "Moreover, even a policy to give free sand as welfare measure cannot justify unregulated mining unmindful of impact on environment. If in the course of mining, damage is caused, the same must be recovered from such violators. Authorities cannot avoid their duty under the environmental law to restore the damage which is a duty to future generations," the bench said, in a recent order.