Pauri district magistrate Chandra Shekhar Bhatt instructed the Superintendent of Police, sub divisional magistrate, Garhwal divisional forest officer, executive officer of the Pauri municipality and the senior mining officer to implement the orders of the National Green Tribunal's principal bench for stopping non forestry works, permanently closing the hot mix plant, stone crusher and the disposal of garbage in the 231.94 hectare land at Gadoli-Mandakhal area about half a dozen kilometres from the district headquarter Pauri. This instruction was issued to officers concerned on June 2 by the district magistrate and the officers have started to enforce the orders of the tribunal.
The NGT principal bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar and comprising Justice MS Nambiar, Dr DK Agrawal, Prof AK Yousuf and Dr RC Trivedi passed the orders on the application submitted by Subir Mario Chowfin against the Union of India and seven other respondents after an affidavit was filed by the Additional Secretary Forest, Government of Uttarakhand before the NGT.
The affidavit stated that the 231 hectare area in question ought to have been declared as a forest area and no non forestry activity should be permitted there.
It also pointed at illegal tree felling and a hot mixing plant working in the area.
The NGT had ordered that the State government shall issue a notification within four weeks declaring the entire area in question as a reserved forest, protected forest or private forest as the case may be.
The NGT ordered closure of the hot mix plant and stone crusher operating in this forest area. The State Government shall ensure that no municipal or other waste is dumped in the forest area.
In its order the NGT sought to know why the Pauri municipality should not be directed to pay compensation and ensure compensatory afforestation for felling trees illegally in the forest area.
The State government, Pauri municipality and all other public authorities in Pauri have been directed to remove all debris and garbage from the forest area.
It is pertinent to mention that to prevent traffic congestion on the Kotdwar- Srinagar highway the construction of a six kms long bypass had been started from Bubakhal through Gadoli to Srinagar Road with Rs67 lakh being spent on this work. Sub divisional magistrate Pl Shah told The Pioneer that the hot mix plant and stone crusher have been seized in compliance of the NGT order while a notice has been served to the Pauri municipality directing that no garbage be dumped in the forest area.
As there is no order for stopping the construction of the bypass, no action has been taken in this regard, added Shah.