HC lens on ‘tardy’ pace of afforestation in industrial areas

Cuttack: Orissa high court has ordered the appearance of Satyabrata Sahu, forest, environment and climate change secretary, over the allegation of ‘slow’ and ‘tardy’ compensatory afforestation, particularly in industrial areas.
While issuing the order on Monday, Justice S K Panigrahi said, “The secretary, forest and environment, govt of Odisha, shall be present in court through virtual mode on Oct 8 to to apprise this court about the status of compensatory forest being created in the state especially in the aftermath of the industrialisation at different parts of the state.”
The single-judge bench was hearing a petition on felling of trees in forest land in Dhinkia gram panchayat area in Jagatsinghpur district for an industrial project.
The petition was filed by a resident of Dhinkia (Patana), Chandan Mohanty.
The bench issued the order after senior advocate Ashok Kumar Parija, representing the company, submitted that no illegality had been committed as the Union ministry of environment and forest had granted permission for the diversion of 1,083.69 hectares of forest land.
Since it is a greenfield project, it requires some forest clearance for setting up the plant and other activities in the area. But the project proponent will leave no stone unturned in creating forest in the vacant space in the project area, Parija submitted.