DEHRADUN: In a significant ruling, the Nainital High Court has imposed a temporary ban on the cutting of 3,300 trees along the proposed road between Rishikesh and Bhaniyawala. The court has also directed the state government to present all relevant permissions regarding the project before it.
The bench, comprising Chief Justice G. Narendar and Justice Ashish Naithani, made this decision while hearing a public interest litigation filed by Renu Pal, a resident of Dehradun.
The court has requested the petitioner to submit Google images illustrating the corridor and the specific segments of the road affected by the project.
During the hearing of the public interest litigation concerning the proposed road project, the bench emphasised the inclusion of forest areas within the corridor.
The court instructed the government, stating, "The mandatory approvals under the Forest Conservation Act, the compensatory afforestation plan, if any, must be presented. Additionally, if a compensatory afforestation fund has been set aside, it should also be disclosed. The environmental impact and assessment report prepared by the competent authority must be submitted."
The next hearing in the case has been scheduled for March 21.
Petitioner’s advocate, Abhijay Negi, informed the court that the proposed road widening falls within the Elephant Corridor, affecting approximately 3,300 trees. He noted that previously, following intervention by the High Court, the Shivalik Elephant Reserve had been successfully protected.
Advocate Negi stated, “Documents have been submitted along with the petition in court, detailing various elephant corridors in the northern region. The documents include GPS coordinates, as well as the dimensions of the corridors, such as their length and width.”
During the proceedings, Advocate Abhijay Negi elaborated on the details provided in the petition, emphasizing the critical dimensions of various elephant corridors.
"The Basant Corridor has a recorded length of 30 kilometers and a width of 10 kilometers," Negi stated. "In the case of the Chhediya Corridor, the length is also 30 kilometers, but its width is only 0.5 kilometers. Similarly, the Dudhwa Corridor measures 13 kilometers in length and 10 kilometers in width."
He further noted, "The relevant Shivalik Corridor, which is central to this case, has a length of 32 kilometers and a width of 23 kilometers. The geographic coordinates detailing these corridors have also been included in the documentation."
In response to the court's directives, Anoop Nautiyal, founder of the Social Development for Communities foundation, shared his thoughts with this daily, stating, "Uttarakhand is a gift from nature, a treasure of greenery. The preservation of the Himalayas and its environment can only be achieved through the protection of trees. We demand a complete ban on tree cutting, as life without trees is unimaginable."