National Green Tribunal: All five Zones are equal

National Green Tribunal: All five Zones are equal

Part of: GS Prelims and GS III – Environment 

In news The Madras High Court disapproved 2017 Central notification, which termed the National Green Tribunal’s North Zone bench in Delhi as a principal bench. 

• It added that if a procedure of transferring cases to Delhi is adopted, it will amount to denied access to justice. 
• It observed that all five zonal benches of the NGT are equally powerful and their orders are applicable across India 
• The zonal benches are Central zone – Bhopal, East zone – Kolkata, South Zone – Chennai, West Zone – Pune and North Zone – New Delhi

What is NGT?

• It is a statutory body established in 2010, as per the National Green Tribunal Act. 
• It is a specialised judicial body equipped with expertise solely for the purpose of adjudicating environmental cases in the country. 
• The chairperson of the NGT is a retired judge of the Supreme Court 
• It shall not be bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 but shall be guided by principles of natural justice. 
• Tribunal’s orders are binding and it has power to grant relief in the form of compensation and damages to affected persons.

Related Article: NGT on Brahmaputra

News source: TH