HT Digital
SHILLONG, APR 12: The Meghalaya High Court on Wednesday instructed the state’s Chief Secretary to establish a committee that will advise the government on halting the indiscriminate felling of trees across the state.
While hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), Chief Justice IP Mukerji and Justice W Diengdoh emphasized the urgent need for a well-structured approach to safeguard Meghalaya’s forests and maintain the state’s ecological balance.
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The court directed that the state submit a report by June 12, outlining the committee’s discussions and decisions.
The move follows a report presented to the court, which revealed that Range Forest Officers or Beat Forest Officers were approving extensive tree felling based on their assessment that the trees posed a threat to life and property.
The court ordered the formation of a committee that will include the Chief Conservator of Forests, a botany expert, and a senior administrative officer with at least the rank of Secretary. This committee will advise the government on measures to prevent large-scale tree felling, carefully reviewing all tree-cutting applications and conducting independent investigations before issuing directives to the Forest Department.
The committee will assess applications on a district-by-district basis to ensure all decisions comply with existing legal frameworks. The court stressed that tree felling would only be allowed if it was absolutely necessary to preserve life and property.
Additionally, the bench took judicial notice of the fact that some individuals have been felling trees illegally and engaging in large-scale commercial transactions, including converting trunks into logs and transporting them.
The court ordered local forest officials not to permit any tree felling unless it poses an immediate and critical threat to life and property, leaving no time for delay.
The bench also noted the Advocate General’s statement that the Meghalaya Tree (Preservation) Act and the Forest (Conservation) Act of 1980 govern different areas of the state, with the latter covering the broader state and the former governing Shillong’s municipality and cantonment areas.
The court clarified that its order does not apply to cases where the Central Government has granted forest clearance for development projects under the Forest Conservation Act of 1980, as these permissions are outside the scope of the current case.
