Pune: The National Green Tribunal ( NGT ) has sought reply affidavits from the state principal chief conservator of forest, the ministry of environment, forest and climate change and Pune district collector over the delay to reclaim 14,000ha of reserved forest from the revenue department in the city. Reply affidavits need to be filed by Nov 4, when the matter is slated for the next hearing before the National Green Tribunal (NGT)'s western region bench which is looking into the matter now. Taking suo motu cognisance of a news report, the green tribunal's principal bench in New Delhi observed on Sept 19, "The news item indicates violation of provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
It raises substantial issues relating to compliance with the environmental norms and implementation of the provisions of scheduled enactment." In 1978, following the Indian govt's order, the forest department had transferred 35,000ha land to the revenue department for plantation, supervision and other administrative purposes. In the early 2000s, the central govt again ordered the forest department to identify reserve forest land and mark it to prevent future encroachment/misuse.
The latter began identification of reserve forest land in 2008. Nevertheless, the partnership's lease and agreement ended in and around 2008, resulting in the forest department reclaiming all the land it had previously owned. Since 2008, the forest department has retrieve.