Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The Principal bench of the National Green Tribunal ( NGT) has directed the Uttarakhand forest department to slap a ‘punitive’ rate of fine on violaters who involves in the cutting of endangered trees in the forest area adjacent to Nainital city.
NGT has also directed the forest department to ensure the plantation of at least 10 times the trees which were fallen in the hands of violators.
The recent order came while NGT Chairperson Sheo Kumar Singh was dealing with a plea on the unauthorized cutting of trees and sewage water and solid waste disposal in the stormwater drain flowing into the Naini Lake of the hill state.
Calling Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board to take disciplinary action against the Nainital Regional Officer for non-compliance with environmental rules and ‘encouraging the violators’, the tribunal also directed DFO, State PCB, DM, and the Nagar Palika to submit a report on action taken on felling of trees and the discharge of sewage into the Naini Lake.
Adv Akash Vashishtha, the Amicus Curiae in the issue, submitted that the very composition of the Tree felling committee, reconstituted in January, and authorized to issue permissions, was flawed, comprising only one environmentalist while the remaining members were Councillors, being political in nature, or resort and hotel owners. Such a committee cannot decide when permissions may be granted and when should it be denied.
“The vertical hill cutting of slopes, leading to slope exposure and slope instability, causes exposure of the roots, thereby, making them vulnerable to fall, is another big issue of concern in Nainital and Pangot,” Vashishtha informed the green court.
In the complaint, it was stated that “There is sewage water and solid waste in the stormwater drain flowing into the Naini Lake and outlets of houses are discharging domestic sewage directly into the stormwater drain, reckless vertical hill cutting causing massive slope exposure and exposure of roots of trees, which become vulnerable to fall anytime.”
This practice is seen almost every year in the region causing damage to the environment and landslides resulting due to exposure of roots in the process of vertical hill cutting and the entire patch of tree vegetation has dried up owing to constructions inside a forest area, it said.
The plea contended that there are more than 148 hotels running in the Nagar Palika Parishad, Nainital without any relevant authority from the State PCB and discharging their untreated water/sewage into the Naini Lake.
The ill felling of trees by hotel owners to expand the area is adversely affecting the environment and ecology of the area, it added.
NEW DELHI: The Principal bench of the National Green Tribunal ( NGT) has directed the Uttarakhand forest department to slap a ‘punitive’ rate of fine on violaters who involves in the cutting of endangered trees in the forest area adjacent to Nainital city.
NGT has also directed the forest department to ensure the plantation of at least 10 times the trees which were fallen in the hands of violators.
The recent order came while NGT Chairperson Sheo Kumar Singh was dealing with a plea on the unauthorized cutting of trees and sewage water and solid waste disposal in the stormwater drain flowing into the Naini Lake of the hill state.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
Calling Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board to take disciplinary action against the Nainital Regional Officer for non-compliance with environmental rules and ‘encouraging the violators’, the tribunal also directed DFO, State PCB, DM, and the Nagar Palika to submit a report on action taken on felling of trees and the discharge of sewage into the Naini Lake.
Adv Akash Vashishtha, the Amicus Curiae in the issue, submitted that the very composition of the Tree felling committee, reconstituted in January, and authorized to issue permissions, was flawed, comprising only one environmentalist while the remaining members were Councillors, being political in nature, or resort and hotel owners. Such a committee cannot decide when permissions may be granted and when should it be denied.
“The vertical hill cutting of slopes, leading to slope exposure and slope instability, causes exposure of the roots, thereby, making them vulnerable to fall, is another big issue of concern in Nainital and Pangot,” Vashishtha informed the green court.
In the complaint, it was stated that “There is sewage water and solid waste in the stormwater drain flowing into the Naini Lake and outlets of houses are discharging domestic sewage directly into the stormwater drain, reckless vertical hill cutting causing massive slope exposure and exposure of roots of trees, which become vulnerable to fall anytime.”
This practice is seen almost every year in the region causing damage to the environment and landslides resulting due to exposure of roots in the process of vertical hill cutting and the entire patch of tree vegetation has dried up owing to constructions inside a forest area, it said.
The plea contended that there are more than 148 hotels running in the Nagar Palika Parishad, Nainital without any relevant authority from the State PCB and discharging their untreated water/sewage into the Naini Lake.
The ill felling of trees by hotel owners to expand the area is adversely affecting the environment and ecology of the area, it added.
