MP News: High Court Informs National Green Tribunal If Committee Has Erred In Allowing Cutting Trees

Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): The High Court principal bench has held if the committee that grants permission for the cutting of trees for development projects erred in its decision the same be informed to the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

The state government is adhered to the environmental norms, and the development projects are being executed after the committee formed by the National Green Tribunal grants permission to cut the trees, Deputy Advocate General Swapnil Ganguly said.

The court has directed that if the committee is erring in its decision on cutting of trees the same be informed to the National Green Tribunal so that further action could be taken, he said.

A division bench comprising of Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf made the observation during hearing of a bunch of petitions related to the cutting of trees for various development projects including coal excavation in Singrauli district, NHAI and the Railways.

The deputy advocate general further submitted that there is no tree transplantation policy in the state of Madhya Pradesh which could regulate the cutting and transplantation of trees. Several trees have been cut, however, there are further more trees which are required to be cut or transplanted for the purposes of the ongoing project, he informed the court.

The committee has permitted cutting of 30000 trees for coal excavation in Singrauli, Ganguly said. Advocate KK Pandey appeared for a petition related to planting ornamental plants by NHAI, submitted over 25000 trees were cut during widening of the Nagpur-Rewa Highway but the NHAI instead of planting big trees they have planted ornament plants alongside the highway.