Union Ministries to hold talks on Pampa sand removal issue

To look into the overriding impact of two Acts

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) will hold consultations with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on whether the Disaster Management Act, 2005, has an overriding effect on the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, in the case related to the removal of sand from Pampa river.

The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had set up an expert committee after it took suo motu notice of The Hindu report ‘Forest dept. told to permit sand removal from Pampa’ published on May 30 last year. The tribunal had sought the view of MoEFCC as to whether permission under the Forest Conservation Act is required for such activities