SC notice to Mizoram Govt, NHIDCL for violation in Riverine Reserved Forests and Road Side Reserved Forests

The next date of hearing has been fixed for July 24 and the Mizoram Government and NHIDCL have to reply by then

The Supreme Court has pulled up Mizoram Government and the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) and issued notices to both for sanctioning developmental work within the forest areas of Riverine Reserved Forests and Road Side Reserved Forests of Mizoram without obtaining mandatory approvals from the Forest Department.

The Supreme Court bench of Justice B R Gavai and Justice Sandeep Mehta took stern view of the matter and expressed surprise over the fact that the Mizoram Government did not actively pursue the case after a single Judge bench of the Gauhati High Court in 2021 had annulled the notifications concerning the Riverine Reserved Forests and Road Side Reserved Forests in Mizoram, reducing the notified forest cover by 1929.7 sq km and their apparent oversight in adhering to environmental laws.

Appearing for petitioners from Mizoram, Advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal informed the Supreme Court that the Secretary of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change of Mizoram had sanctioned developmental work within the forest regions without the mandatory approvals from the Forest Department.

Bansal argued that the said action not only contradicts the provisions stipulated under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, aimed at protecting forested areas from undue destruction and ensuring environmental sustainability but also ignoring the decision held in a meeting headed by PCCF (HoD) and Principal Secretary, Environment Forest and Climate Change, Department, Mizoram State, where it was resolved that the entire area (around 1929.7 sq km) falling under RRF Notification may continue to be as forests.

The next date of hearing has been fixed for July 24 and the Mizoram Government and NHIDCL have to reply by then.

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