If you oppose restoration, your officers may face temporary imprisonment, said the Supreme Court on Wednesday, expressing serious concerns over environmental damage caused by the ‘bulldozing’ of 100 acres of forest land in Telangana.
The top court bench led by Justice BR Gavai said: ‘We are only concerned with the damage done to the environment, not bothered about any order.’
Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the state, claimed that only jamun trees and bushes were removed after obtaining proper permissions.
To this, the bench noted that restoration of the 100-acre forest is the first priority.
Justice B.R. Gavai sought clarity on whether prior permission was obtained before felling trees and whether due process was followed as per the Supreme Court’s 1996 guidelines.
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