Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) Central Zone Bench in Bhopal on Friday sharply criticised the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) for violating environmental laws and ignoring court directives in connection with large-scale illegal tree felling during road construction in the Kolar area.
In the case, petitioner Nitin Saxena alleged that a total of 4,105 trees were cut without following the mandatory compensatory afforestation requirements under the Madhya Pradesh Tree Preservation (Urban Areas) Act, 2001.
Despite the Public Works Department (PWD) depositing Rs. 10.94 crore for obtaining permission to cut the trees, the BMC withheld approval for over 30 days. The NGT described this conduct as unacceptable, noting that the BMC had failed to file a reply to the main petition for more than 18 months, despite receiving repeated notices from the tribunal.
The Tribunal has now directed the BMC to submit, within two weeks, detailed information on the total number of trees cut in the past five years, the funds collected and utilized for compensatory afforestation, the number of trees actually planted using these funds, and the current number of live trees along with the respective percentages.
The next hearing in this case has been scheduled for 12 November. Environmentalists have welcomed the NGT’s strict stance and emphasised the need for proper monitoring to prevent further violations of environmental norms in the city.
[Story By Staff Reporter]
