Green Tribunal notice to Maharashtra forest department, NHAI

The Maharashtra forest department and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) have earned the ire of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for cutting trees in forest land.

Going against the NGT's orders, the forest department had hacked trees on forest land in Nagpur division for widening National Highway 7 (NH7).

The NGT's principal bench on Monday issued a show-cause notice to the state forest department and NHAI for violating its orders and asked why its properties may not be attached and contempt proceedings not be initiated against them.

The forest department started felling trees in the Mogra beat under the Pauni range on the Maharashtra side of NH7. The proposed NH7 widening will touch the Kanha-Pench wildlife corridor, considered one of the best tiger habitats in the country.

The petitioner, Srushti Paryavaran Mandal, submitted photographs to the Tribunal as evidence of tree felling, which, they claimed, started on August 26 and went on for 4-5 days. It also informed that the bench that the Maharashtra government, too, had not given final permission for cutting trees on forest land under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, and the state's special counsel confirmed it.

After observing the evidence and the petitioner's application to initiate contempt proceedings, Justice Swatanter Kumar said: "Despite our orders in May and August, indiscriminate felling of trees was carried out. The Tribunal added that they were prima facie satisfied with the submission of the petitioner that their orders were violated. Pulling up the NHAI, it said that, as project proponent, the NHAI had assured there would be no tree felling."

The NGT's interim orders to not cut trees were passed in an on-going case pertaining to the forest clearance issued for widening NH7 through Mansar in Maharashtra and Khawasa in Madhya Pradesh.

Around 30,000 trees are to be cut for widening the highway, which faced stiff resistance from environmentalists and locals. Felling of trees on forest land had come just on the back of the NHAI and environment ministry decision to build the country's first-ever animal underpasses and overpasses on NH7 to facilitate passage of wild animals.

The NHAI was earlier hesitant to spend on mitigation measures for wildlife, but, after the ecological importance of the wildlife corridor was highlighted before NGT, NHAI came around. As of now, a Rs500 crore mitigation plan has been chalked out.