Law students from various law colleges in Maharashtra, India, held a demonstration at the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Delhi to highlight the need for filling up vacancies across NGT Benches.

Political apathy

The students are part of a global organization Lawyers for Earth Justice, and also wrote to the authorities of the Principal NGT Bench, calling for the implementation of what they see as the necessary measures to improve the NGT. The students say successive regimes have done little to provide the tribunals with the infrastructure, staff or the resources it requires for its functions, stating that ‘since May 2014, the NGT has not got the staff it required to resolved the mounting number of environmental litigations.. even the minimum criteria to appoint Judicial and Expert members are not adhered to’ The also pointed out that political apathy was evidence by the closure of the Chennai, Kolkata, Bhopal and Pune Benches of the NGT since last January.

Measures demanded

The Lawyers for Earth Justice has made an appeal for a number of measures to be implemented, including: all NGT Benches in India made functional immediately by appointing sufficient number of Judges and Expert Members; the temporary use of video conference should not be viewed as a permanent option for appointing Judicial Members and Expert Members at NGT; expert Members must be included in final Judgments on substantial issues related to the environment.