NEW DELHI: Observing that it will not hesitate to go out of the way to protect the environment and ecology, Supreme Court on Wednesday took strong exception to Telangana govt felling trees and removing green cover from over 100 acres in Kancha Gachibowli forest in Hyderabad and said govt had only two options - either restore the green cover or be ready for some of its senior-most officers being sent to jail for violation of court orders.
As senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the state, said any error was "bonafide and unintentional" and assured that govt would follow the court's direction, a bench of Justices B R Gavai and A G Masih responded that if govt wanted to save its chief secretary and other officers from going to jail, then it has to come up with revival plan of the damaged area.
"If you want the chief secretary to be saved from severe action, you have to come out with a plan as to how you will restore those hundred acres... Otherwise, we don't know how many of your officers will have to go to a temporary prison constructed at the same spot near the lake," the bench said. "For protection of environment and ecology, we will go out of the way if needed," it added.
Singhvi said 1,300-odd trees were exempted by self-certification in terms of the statute and also stressed that there were certain species of plants which were exempted. But the bench responded that without the court's permission, felling of any kind of trees was not permitted and it was done in violation of its order.
The bench said the court's permission was needed even for projects of national importance, like widening roads in border areas for strategic purposes, and added that even in case of widening of roads for Char Dham Yatra, the govt took the court's permission. It said Telangana govt could not justify its action.
The bench said it was shocked to see visuals of wild animals running for shelter after the green cover was removed. It sought a report from the state's wildlife warden on the steps taken to protect wildlife and allowed Singhvi's plea for one month's time to prepare a revival plan for the area.
As senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the state, said any error was "bonafide and unintentional" and assured that govt would follow the court's direction, a bench of Justices B R Gavai and A G Masih responded that if govt wanted to save its chief secretary and other officers from going to jail, then it has to come up with revival plan of the damaged area.
"If you want the chief secretary to be saved from severe action, you have to come out with a plan as to how you will restore those hundred acres... Otherwise, we don't know how many of your officers will have to go to a temporary prison constructed at the same spot near the lake," the bench said. "For protection of environment and ecology, we will go out of the way if needed," it added.
Singhvi said 1,300-odd trees were exempted by self-certification in terms of the statute and also stressed that there were certain species of plants which were exempted. But the bench responded that without the court's permission, felling of any kind of trees was not permitted and it was done in violation of its order.
The bench said the court's permission was needed even for projects of national importance, like widening roads in border areas for strategic purposes, and added that even in case of widening of roads for Char Dham Yatra, the govt took the court's permission. It said Telangana govt could not justify its action.
The bench said it was shocked to see visuals of wild animals running for shelter after the green cover was removed. It sought a report from the state's wildlife warden on the steps taken to protect wildlife and allowed Singhvi's plea for one month's time to prepare a revival plan for the area.
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