NGT questions Tamil Nadu government on how oil spill reached Pulicat

Subject: Environment

Section: Pollution

Context:

The southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday questioned the State government and the Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) on how the oil spill reached Pulicat backwaters if, as per reports submitted by the government, the slick was stopped from entering the sea.

About National Green Tribunal:

The National Green Tribunal has been established under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010.
New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai shall be the other four places of sitting of the Tribunal.
NGT is mandated to make disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of the filing of the same.

What is the composition of NGT?

The Tribunal comprises the Chairperson, the Judicial Members, and Expert Members.
They shall hold office for a term of 5 years and are not eligible for reappointment.
The Chairperson is appointed by the Central Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
A Selection Committee shall be formed by the central government to appoint the Judicial Members and Expert Members.
There are to be at least 10 and a maximum of 20 full-time Judicial members and Expert Members in the tribunal.

Powers & Jurisdiction

Established for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources.
It has appellate jurisdiction to hear appeals as a Court.
The Tribunal is not bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but shall be guided by principles of natural justice.

Basics of Pulcat Lake

Pulicat Lake is the second largest brackish water lagoon in India, after Chilika Lake. It is present in the Coromondal Region i.e. Andhra Pradesh–Tamil Nadu Border.
The barrier island of Sriharikota separates the lake from the Bay of Bengal and is home to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
The lake encompasses the Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary.
Flamingo Festival is held every year to promote tourism in Pulicat Lake and Nellapattu. It has been organized for the past 12 years.
The primary inflows to Pulicat Lake are Arani, Kalangi and Swarnamukhi.
About 96% of the Pulicat Lake is present in Andhra Pradesh while only 3% is present in Tamil Nadu.
The Buckingham Canal, a navigation channel, is part of the lagoon on its western side.