CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Monday directed personal appearance of the secretary of state Forest and Environment department on October 8 during hearing of a petition seeking intervention against felling of trees from forest land for an industrial unit by the JSW Utkal Steel Limited in Jagatsinghpur district’s Dhinkia gram panchayat.
Observing that the process of compensatory forestation in the state is very slow, the bench of Justice SK Panigrahi directed the secretary to apprise the court on the status of compensatory forests, especially in the wake of rapid industrialisation in different parts of the state.
Chandan Mohanty, a resident of Dhinkia (Patana), has filed the petition.
Justice Panigrahi also directed the divisional forest officer, Rajnagar to furnish the information with regard to total number of plants approximately to be felled for the purpose of the said project and what steps have taken for creating compensatory forest in the place.