Alleged deforestation for coal block mining Chhattisgarh: NGT says can't proceed with issue

New Delhi, May 30 (PTI) The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has said it cannot proceed with the issue of alleged deforestation for mining in the Hasdeo forest in Chhattisgarh as it had previously dealt with the matter and that cases regarding it were also pending in the Supreme Court and a high court.

The green body was hearing the matter in which it had taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of some media reports regarding the cutting of trees by the state forest department to clear the land for mining in Parsa East-Kente Basan (PEKB) Phase-II, a coal block allotted to Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam (RRVUN), the power generation company of the Rajasthan government.

In an order dated May 28, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava said two writ petitions pending in the apex court and the Chhattisgarh High Court "substantially" covered the issue.

"Hence, in such circumstances, the tribunal would not be justified in taking up the parallel proceedings by examining these original applications or OAs (before it) on merit," said the bench also comprising judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel.

The tribunal said the central zonal bench of the NGT in Bhopal had earlier disposed of the matter regarding the illegal felling of more than 15,000 trees in Hasdeo forest in the districts of Korba and Sarguja for carrying out the proposed PEKB coal mining project.

The tribunal noted the central zonal bench's order dated April 3, according to which, "Due permission has been taken by the authorities concerned for the project and cutting of the trees. Accordingly, no violation has been reported in the joint committee report; thus, no further action is required by this tribunal".

So, the issues involved in the present matter had already been examined, the tribunal said.

"We do not find any justification to proceed with the present OAs. No further orders in the OAs are required," the tribunal said, disposing of the matter. PTI MNR MNR KSS KSS