Kakinada: NGT appoints panel to check ONGC, GAIL pollution

Kakinada: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has appointed a joint committee to ascertain air, sound, soil and water pollution caused on account of the oil and gas explorations of Gas Authority of India Limited(GAIL) and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) along the Krishna – Godavari Basin.

According to an official release here on Friday, the Joint Committee comprises a senior officer from the Regional Office, Ministry of Environment & Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Chennai, another senior officer from Regional office from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB),Chennai, senior officer deputed by the Chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB), East Godavari District Collector or a senior officer not below the rank of Assistant Collector or Sub Divisional Magistrate and an expert on Petroleum Engineering from Andhra University College of Engineering, Visakhapatnam.

The committee will submit its report to NGT through e- filing on or before November 17,2020. One Yenumula Venkatapathi Raja filed a petition in NGT against the oil companies, stating that oil leakage from the pipelines established by these units was causing damage to the agricultural land and also affecting the water bodies.

He alleged that the units were not following the pollution control mechanism and there is no proper maintenance of the pipelines resulting in frequent oil and gas leakage posing threat to people's lives.