The National Green Tribunal (NGT) recently took suo motu cognizance of the indiscriminate and unscientific cutting of hills and trees near Saurabh Van Vihar on the outskirts of Palampur in Himachal Pradesh.
The case was initiated based on a newspaper report, which highlighted the use of heavy machinery to cut hills in the hilly vicinity near Saurabh Van Vihar.
The NGT bench, comprising then Chairperson and judicial member Justice Sheo Kumar Singh, judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi, and expert member Professor A Senthil Veil, noted that the cutting was being carried out by a private party involved in constructing a hotel or resort without authorization from the State Pollution Control Board (PCB).
“The report reveals that cutting of hills with the help of JCB machines was being undertaken in the hilly area near Saurabh Van Vihar by [a] private party engaged in constructing a hotel or resort without any authority from the State PCB or the authorities concerned. The activities and cutting of hills and trees had played havoc with nature which could result in a landslide in the area,” the NGT order stated.
The report also highlighted the improper disposal of debris within the forested area. Moreover, the absence of proper demarcation had led to encroachment on forest land.
The NGT was apprised that construction activities were being carried out on hill slopes with gradients surpassing 45 degrees, despite such constructions being prohibited in Himachal Pradesh.
The tribunal recognized the gravity of the environmental issue raised. However, some respondents’ legal representatives argued that the identification and demarcation of the land were already underway under the District Magistrate’s supervision. They sought time to file a reply. As a result, the tribunal granted the respondents until October 18, the next hearing date, to submit their response.
Additionally, the NGT called for a report from a committee comprising the Collector, the divisional forest officer (DFO) of Palampur, and a representative from the Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board. The committee has been tasked with visiting the site and submitting a factual and action-oriented report within six weeks. The State Pollution Control Board will be the coordinating agency, providing logistical support as needed, the tribunal appended.
