CHENNAI: In a blow to the Highways department, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) South Zone Bench on Thursday stayed the widening of a stretch of 35-km road from Thenpalani to the Highways adjoining the Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary in Theni district.
The interim injunction, issued by the tribunal comprising judicial member P Jyothimani and expert member P S Rao order, was made in connection with a petition filed by M Saravanan of Madurai on April 22 after nearly 150 trees were felled in the reserve forest area to facilitate the widening work.
According to the petitioner, the trees were felled to benefit estate workers and encroachers and to promote tourism. The petitioner further stated that the Highways Department had not obtained the requisite legal clearances claiming that no permission is required from the Forest Department. This amounts to violation, the petition said.
“The existing road’s width is 5.5 m but on re-laying the stretch, work is being done to expand from the current width of 5.5.m to 10 to 22 metres illegally by the Highways Department. Very old trees are being cut to facilitate the expansion without proper permission,” the petition stated.
The Meghamalai Sanctuary, situated in the Western Ghats in Theni district, is rich in wildlife and houses rare and threatened species such as the Lion Tailed Macaque, Grizzled Giant Squirrel, Great Indian Hornbill, Slender Loris and many such species. The reserve forest area falls under the Eco-Sensitive Zone of the Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary and Periyar Tiger Reserve.
The petitioner stated that large tracts of forests in Meghamalai were given on lease to different companies that converted the forests into plantations of tea, cardamom and coffee, interspersed between tracts of rainforests that harbour high density of animals. This massive encroachment of forests by the people coupled with rampant tourism, according to the petitioner, has caused significant damage to the ecosystem of the Meghamalai Reserve Forests.
