Need to protect forests across the country, observes SC

The Supreme Court on Thursday said there was a need to protect forests across India, noting that some states like Jharkhand have natural ecosystems which must be preserved.

The observations came from a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice V Mohana which was hearing a plea filed by the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB).

“There are few states where we can really protect our natural ecosystem and you (Jharkhand) are one of them,” the CJI told the counsel appearing for the JSPCB.

The bench observed that some of the states have natural paradises like forests and they need to be protected.

The top court was hearing a petition challenging an order of the Jharkhand High Court.

The high court had in April passed directions relating to consent for stone mining or establishing stone crushers from the boundaries of forests or forest land.

In January, the high court had directed that no consent should be granted for stone mining or stone crushers within one km measured from the demarcated boundaries of protected forests within the state.

The high court had passed the order in January while hearing a petition challenging a notification issued by the JSPCB which reduces the minimum distance for setting up stone mines and stone crushers around forest or forest land from the previously notified 400-500 metres to 250 metres.

In its April order, the high court had said the restriction on the grant of consents would apply to the zone of 500 metres from the boundaries of forests or forest land insofar as stone mining was concerned, and to the zone of 400 metres insofar as stone crushers were concerned.

During the hearing on Thursday, the top court observed the authority had abruptly reduced the distance.