Kolar Six-Lane Project: Activist Files Petition Objecting Cutting Of 4,105 Trees, NGT's Panel To Find Facts

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): National Green Tribunal (NGT) has formed a joint committee following a petition that has objected to cutting 4,105 trees for road construction under Kolar six-lane project. Green activist Nitin Saxena has filed the petition.

The joint committee consists of representative from ministry of environment forest and climate change integrated office in Bhopal, representative of Bhopal collector, representative of Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board, principal secretary, environment.

The members of committee have been asked to visit place and submit factual and action-taken report within six weeks. MPPCB will be the nodal agency for coordination and logistic support.

According to petitioner, cutting large number of trees for ongoing road construction in Kolar is causing damage to environment.

The petition stated that 4,105 trees were cut without following provisions of Madhya Pradesh Vrakshon ka Parirakshan (Nagriya Kshetra) Adhiniyam, 2001, where Section 6 (3) of the Act makes it mandatory to seek permission for felling trees on condition of compensatory afforestation and/or on the monitory contribution to be made by the entity responsible for felling of trees.

The notification issued by the Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change dated February 22, 2024, with regard to green credit, its utilisation has not been followed by the authorities concerned, the petition added.