Reopening of NGT western zone extended to March 2

Pending the appointment of a judicial member, the reopening of the western zone bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) is delayed by another month. As per an

Pending the appointment of a judicial member, the reopening of the western zone bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) is delayed by another month. As per an earlier order from the principal bench of NGT, the western zone was supposed to begin function on February 1, but will now begin functioning from March 2.

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“Since the judicial member is not available, western zone bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) will now become functional from March 2, 2020, tentatively subject to availability of judicial member,” read the office order dated January 31.

Currently, there are three judicial members at NGT - Justice Sonam Phinsto Wangdi, Justice K Ramakrishnan and Justice Raghuvendra Singh Rathore.

The bench has been out of action for the past two years. An order in this regard was issued by the chairperson of NGT, Adarsh Kumar Goel, stating, “Siddhanta Das, expert member stands posted and transferred from NGT principal bench, New Delhi, to NGT, western zone bench, Pune, with effect from February 1, 2020, subject to joining of judicial member.”

On January 31, 2018, while hearing the submission made by the NGT Bar Association (western zone), the Supreme Court said that no single-member bench will be constituted in compliance with the 2017 circular of ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF). A few months later the principal bench had started hearing important cases through video conference. However, the zonal bench remained shut.

The western zone bench serves three states including Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa regarding environment-related issues.