Upholding the ban till further orders over cutting of trees in the name of widening and construction of roads by the State authorities, the Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday formed a five member committee to look into the matter and submit a report before it till July 6.
The Court of Justice PP Bhatt, taking a suo-motto cognizance on the issue of cutting of hundreds of trees in the name of widening of roads had put immediate stay on it on June 10. The court also had asked the concerned officials to submit a report on the issue within 24 hours.
“The five member committee includes Principal Chief Conservator of Forests BC Nigam, Ranchi Town Commissioner Prashant Kumar, Engineer in Chief of Road Constructions Department Ram Naresh Raman, retired 1979 batch Indian Forest Service Officer Naresh Prasad who has done a lot in this field including myself,” said senior advocate Dilip Jerath who had earlier been appointed amicus-curie in the case. “I have been assigned to co-ordinate between the other four members,” he added.
According to Jerath, the committee will primarily probe whether there were any requirement of cutting of so many trees in the name of widening and construction of road or not. Secondly, it will also identify fresh locations within the city where fresh plantation of trees could be done and thirdly, to find out an alternative for falling down of so many trees. In addition to that, the committee has also been entrusted to find out the ways to save those trees from cutting down, added the amicus curie.
“The committee will also find out the possibility of implementing one way system at least in some patches in order to avoid widening of roads,” Jerath said. The case will be heard next on July 6. The committee members will sit together for the first time on June 20 and submit its report before the court by July after the fact finding, he said.
In its report, earlier submitted by the Road Construction department, it had stated that no more trees will be cut down till further orders. The report also asserted that permission for cutting down 193 trees from Rajendra Chowk to Birsa Chowk was granted by the Forest Department of which 71 had already been cut down. The report also asserted that the trees are being cut for the widening of roads after taking permission from the Forest Department.