Eastern Zone bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has passed an order preventing the State Government from going ahead with road construction and widening of the Gua-Salai stretch in Saranda, Asia’s largest sal forests, without acquiring desired forest and environment clearances.
The Bench comprising judicial member as Justice SP Wangdi and Prof PC Mishra as expert member hearing a petition filed by RK Singh in this regard issued directions to the office of the Chief Secretary, Department of Road Construction, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Department of Forest and Environment and ruled ex parte in its November 8 order as the offices were not represented by any advocate.
Saranda forest is a dense forest in the hilly region of West Singhbhum district. This area used to be the private hunting reserve of the Singh Deo family. The landscape presents a beautiful view of hill upon hill with thickly wooded valleys and meandering live streams.
“Considering the facts and circumstances set out in applications and what have been submitted before us, we direct Respondents No 1 to 4 (i.e. the Chief Secretary, Department of Road Construction, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Department of Forest and Environment) to stop forthwith any construction work if forest clearance and clearance under the EIA Notification, 2006 have not been obtained by the them if any such clearance are required under the law,” reads the direction while hearing a plea of applicant seeking ban on the construction happening in the State.
When contacted, the Department of Environment and Forest admitted having information about the order passed. “We have not studied the order given by the NGT. We will examine it after the office opens on Wednesday. In any case since the case has been filed before the Tribunal, construction and widening of the road is not taking place,” said Principal Secretary of the Department Sukhdev Singh.
Top sources in the Government, however, maintained that construction or widening of the road was continuing without acquiring the prerequisite clearance from the MoEF. “The construction work on the section was going on even without the forest clearance. There was some confusion in this regard,” said a top official in the Road Construction Department who maintained that longer time required in getting the clearances was the reason for such a haste and the practice has been halted after the complaint reached the NGT.
The road in question is 31 kilometers long which has been tactically divided into two; i.e. 2 to 11 kms and 11 to 31 kms. Inputs suggest that the idea behind doing so was getting the clearance from State level itself which is easier.
The stretch is being widened from three meters to 17 meters. larger portion of the area involved in the road is forested in nature.