Forest and hill conservation laws must be followed: SC
Tamil Nadu: The Madras High Court has ordered the Chief Secretary to direct officials working in areas deemed necessary to comply with special laws enacted to protect forests and hilly areas.
A man named Lokanathan filed a case in the Madras High Court seeking a proper order after examining an application for permission to construct a building in the area under the Udhagamandalam Municipality in the Nilgiris district. The High Court Special Judge, who heard the case, ordered that an order be issued on Lokanathan’s petition within eight weeks. The Udhagamandalam Municipal Commissioner filed an appeal against this order in the Madras High Court.
The appeal came up for hearing before a bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and Mohammed Shafiq. At that time, the Municipal Commissioner argued that construction of a building within 150 meters of a forest area protected by law should not be permitted. Therefore, it was argued that the order permitting construction of a building within the petitioner’s area, which falls within the 17-meter radius, should be revoked.
The judges hearing the case stated that the special judge had issued an order that violated regulations designed to protect mountains and forests. Therefore, they ordered the order to be revoked. They also stated that officials must strictly follow the regulations, as violating such regulations will harm the environment.
Disciplinary action should be taken against officials who fail to comply. Failure to protect mountainous areas will have dire consequences. Therefore, specific laws and regulations related to the protection of forests and mountainous areas must be followed. The judges ordered that the Chief Secretary issue instructions to officials working in these areas.
