Asking the state to examine if the venture passes via elephant corridors, the Uttarakhand Excessive Court docket Wednesday directed its counsel to not begin felling of 3,300 trees for a highway widening venture in Bhaniyawala-Rishikesh stretch passing via Shivalik Elephant Reserve.
Listening to a PIL by Reenu Paul and argued by advocate Abhijay Negi, the courtroom requested the state and the petitioner to examine the coordinates of the venture.
“Look into the coordinates and if there’s a highway passing via the hall, then, Mr counsel for the federal government, advise them to assemble a flyover as a result of it can’t be blocked,” the bench of Chief Justice G Narendar and Justice Ashish Naithani noticed.
Negi mentioned there’s a notified Shivalik Elephant Reserve, and inside that is the Bhaniyawala-Rishikesh stretch, the place the federal government has proposed reducing 3,300 trees. “Earlier than this, the federal government needed to increase the Dehradun airport in the…reserve, however this courtroom had intervened and stayed the enlargement as a result of the federal government of India had supported the petitioner and said in its affidavit that it’s a vital elephant habitat,” Negi mentioned.
The highway widening venture will affect the eighth, ninth and tenth corridors in the reserve, he mentioned, including that the venture falls in three forest ranges — Motichur, Badkot and Rishikesh. “Components of Badkot and Rishikesh are notified elephant corridors.”
When the Chief Justice requested at what stage the venture was, the petitioner responded that the state had marked trees to be felled. He directed that no trees must be lower until the subsequent listening to.
The courtroom requested the state to submit the clearances mandated below the Forest Conservation Act; the compensatory afforestation scheme, if any drawn up; the mandatory compensatory afforestation fund, if it has been set aside; and the setting affect and evaluation report on the subsequent listening to on March 21.
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