Bombay High Court pulls up state over tree cutting

Concerned about the depleting green cover, the Bombay High Court has pulled up the state government for not protecting tress in the state.

The division bench of acting chief justice JN Patel and justice BR Gavai on Thursday issued a show-cause notice to Sanjay Kurvey, deputy director (town planning) and state chief secretary JP Dange asking them for a replay as to why a contempt should not be initiated against them for failing to keep up with the undertaking given to the court about framing of rules on illegal tree cutting.

The court was hearing a PIL filed by activist Madhukar Cholekar and two advocates from Kolhapur.

“It is sad that the government treats such environment-friendly PILs as adverse litigation,” said Patel.

Advocates Uday Warunjikar and Rahul Walvekar showed photographs of plants to the court which the civic body of Kolhapur planted in its re-plantation drive. “The re-plantation has been in san area that majority of these will not survive. No one has given assurance of their survival for even one monsoon,” they said.