The National Green Tribunal has formed a panel to study the impact of the rising sea level on islands, besides framing a suitable policy to protect the islands from submergence, erosion, saline ingression, flooding and other adverse environmental aspects.
The NGT was hearing a matter of which it had taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of a media report. According to the report, several islands along the Indian coast as well as some in rivers were vulnerable to erosion and submergence.
A bench of Acting Chairperson Justice S K Singh noted the response by the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, according to which the country’s average temperature rose by around 0.63 degree Celsius between 1901 and 2021, primarily because of greenhouse gases.
The bench, also comprising judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member A Senthil Vel, noted the ministry’s reply, which said, “Rise in temperature has resulted in the melting of glaciers, rise in sea levels, changing precipitation patterns and increasing the tendency of weather and climate extremes on a global scale.”
Underlining that it was imperative to protect the islands, the bench formed a committee comprising the directors of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa, the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Chennai, the National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai and the Survey of India, Dehradun.
“The above institutions shall study the impact of sea level rise on the islands and frame policies and measures to protect these islands from submergence, erosion, saline ingression, flooding and other adverse environmental aspects,” the tribunal said.
It said NIO, Goa was the committee’s nodal agency and the first meeting will be conducted within a fortnight.
The committee has to submit its report within three months, the tribunal said.
The matter has been posted for further proceedings on October 13.
