The Supreme Court has recently ordered the Central Government to file a counter-affidavit in the Western Ghats protection case within four weeks.
A bench comprising of CJI D.Y Chandrachud, Justice P.S Narasimha, and Justice J.B Pardiwala passed this order and listed the matter for further consideration on July 25, 2023.
Several people and organizations from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu filed a writ petition in 2019 expressing concerns over deforestation and damage in the Western Ghats, where they are located.
The petitioners contended that the Central Government and the governments of the six states where the Western Ghats are located have completely ignored their responsibilities to protect the territory, resulting in its slow destruction.
“Protecting the Western Ghats has a direct impact on the right to life and a livelihood guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution. Furthermore, because the Western Ghats are a continuous living chain of mountains that traverse through six states, it necessitates the participation of the six state governments, as well as important regulatory bodies in these states, as well as Central Government ministries,” the petitioner argued.
