Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (DV)
Mangaluru, Apr 26: After initially giving the green signal for the construction of the DC's office complex at Padil here, the Chennai bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has now ordered a stay on the cutting of trees for the project.
In an order passed on Tuesday April 26, the NGT stated that no tree shall be cut and no existing structure shall be demolished in the 5.89 acres of land at Padil earmarked for the project until further orders.
The next hearing in the case has been posted to July 7 this year.
The order comes just days after chief minister Siddaramaiah launched the project in a ceremony in Town Hall during his visit to the city. The Rs 41-crore project entails cutting down of nearly 386 trees.
In February this year, deputy commissioner A B Ibrahim had informed that NGT had given its clearance for the project after initially rejecting it, as the district administration had obtained necessary permission from the forest department to fell the trees. However, now in its fresh order, the NGT has stated, "The Tribunal is satisfied that there exists a substantial question to and concerned with environment and ecology to be decided by the Tribunal."
The Tribunal also made the ministry of environment, forests and climate change, government of India, as one of the respondents in this case.
Further, the NGT directed the central environment ministry to depute a team headed by the chief conservator of forests from its regional office in Bengaluru to inspect the entire area in Padil wherein the trees earmarked for the project are situated and file a report about the nature of the trees, type, species, girth etc and the total extent of the land, and whether the trees were planted or sprung up and grew naturally. The report is to be submitted before the NGT during the next hearing. The NGT ordered that till its final decision after the submission of the report, no trees shall be cut in the 5.89 acres.
Advocate Suma R Nayak of Kottara, the appellant in the case, told daijiworld, "NGT has given an order to maintain status quo and not to cut trees. The expert committee report will be reviewed by the NGT and then a decision will be taken."