The forests of these estates needed urgent protection. With complacent government officials being generally apathic to the destruction of these forests on various verbal complaints and telephone calls, I was to take up the issue with Conservator of Forests, Pauri way back in 2006 by writing a letter which stated various non-forest activities in the forest areas of these estates. With no action being taken by the Forest Department here and endless rounds of meeting with the District Magistrate who had allowed quarrying, sale, purchase and lease of forest areas, initiating construction of the by-pass, allowing dumping of garbage, construction of residences and offices and agriculture and horticulture work, I, had no option but to approach the courts for saving these forests from being destroyed forever.
In 2012 I filed an application in the National Green Tribunal in New Delhi against the Union of India and others in Application 19/2012. Popularly known as the NGT this court was specially set up for environment and forest violations in the country.
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| The forest being felled by the local authorities |
The present status is that the all the activities mentioned above have been brought to a grinding halt by the Tribunal. Various court orders have been effected to date in our battle to save these forests and may be found on the Tribunals website (http://www.greentribunal.gov.in/e-orders.php?eid=142 )
However, the battle is far from over as we continue to strive to protect these areas.
