life will not be possible without ecological conservation while development is also necessary. In its functioning, the Forest Department will have to facilitate sustainable development while taking care to avoid violation of human rights.
This view was expressed by the Uttarakhand Human Rights Commission (UHRC) chairperson Justice Vijendra Jain at a sensitisation workshop for department officials inaugurated by Forest Minister Dinesh Aggarwal on Tuesday.
Speaking on the occasion, Aggarwal said that some officials feel at times that they are facing undue pressure in spite of discharging their responsibilities
properly.
Appreciating UHRC and Forest department for working to raise departmental awareness on human rights, he also pointed out at the need to mitigate the presence of dubious non-governmental organisations being used as a front for ulterior gains.
Expressing his views, Justice Jain said that even denial of good governance could amount to violation of human rights.
Referring to the question of setting the penalty amount for illegal tree felling, he said that considering various factors including the ecological services that a single tree provides besides sustaining an eco-system on its own, it is very difficult to affix a monetary value to a tree.
Citing various provisions, he said that it is a misconception that the role of the UHRC is limited to that of a recommendatory body.
On being asked for human-rights guidelines for department officials he said that both ecological conservation and developmental activities are essential.
Stating that human activities are bound to have a detrimental effect on the environment, he suggested that department officials should enable sustainable development.
UHRC member Hemlata Dhaundiyal said that though various facilities were provided for public representatives and officials at the Bijapur guest house, there was no provision of warm water for the subordinate staff to bathe in.
This was also the case in the Pauri jail where inmates were expected to bathe in cold water. The UHRC got warm water provision in the Pauri jail for inmates and for subordinate staff in all buildings of the Estate department.
She pointed out that in some cases people who had lost their domesticated animals to leopards had also complained of human rights violation in cases where the leopard was not killed after being declared a man-eater. Since the UHRC was unaware of the stipulations to be followed by the Forest Department to declare a leopard man-eater before its destruction, notice was served to the department in such cases.
UHRC member Justice Rajesh Tandon pointed at the violation of human rights at the horse-stand in Nainital where canvas shelters are used to shelter both the horses and their owners in the night. Asking department officials to visit the place and assess the situation, he suggested measures that could be taken to resolve the situation.
He also stressed on the need for measures to reduce noise pollution. UHRC registrar SK Gupta, PCCF (Projects) Veena Sekhari, PCCF (Wildlife) Anil Kumar Dutt, chief wildlife warden DVS Khati and additional PCCF Jairaj among others also expressed their views on the occasion.