National Green Tribunal
Balwinder Kaur vs State Of Punjab & Ors on 9 April, 2024
Item No.1 (Court No. 2)
BEFORE THE NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL
PRINCIPAL BENCH, NEW DELHI.
(Through Physical Hearing with Hybrid VC Option)
Original Application No. 40/2024
Balwinder Kaur ...Applicants
Versus
State of Punjab & Ors. ...Respondents
Date of hearing: 09.04.2024
CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ARUN KUMAR TYAGI, JUDICIAL MEMBER.
HON'BLE DR. AFROZ AHMAD, EXPERT MEMBER.
Applicant: None for the Applicant.
Application is registered based on a letter petition received by Email.
ORDER
1. Mr. Balwinder Kaur has filed the present letter petition on the public grievance portal of this Tribunal regarding the risk of thousands of trees falling due to likelihood of land sliding.
2. The relevant part of the letter petition enumerating grievances of the applicant is reproduced as follows:-
"X X X X It is brought to your notice that thousand of trees (forest department) are under the risk of land sliding due to which there will be tremendous loss to the environment for which land owner and firm will be responsible because they have done 15-20 feet illegal mining in that agricultural land which is adjacent to the trees of forest department. But no official is taking concern on this concern on this incoming tremendous loss to the valuable environment as land under the trees started sliding towards illegal mining site. I am also attaching the GPS photographs for the present situation with location of the site.
X X X X" O.A No.40/2024 Balwinder Kaur Vs. State of Punjab & Ors. 2
3. Prima facie, the averments made in the application raise questions relating to environment arising out of the implementation of the enactments specified in Schedule I to the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010.
4. In view of the averments made in the application, we consider it appropriate that a Joint Committee be constituted to verify the factual position and suggest appropriate remedial action. Accordingly, we constitute a Joint Committee comprising of representatives of Punjab Pollution Control Board, and the District Magistrate, Ropar and direct the same to undertake visits to the site, look into the grievances of the applicant, associate the applicant and representative of the concerned project proponent, verify the factual position and suggest appropriate remedial action. The State PCB will be the nodal agency for coordination and compliance.
5. Factual and Action taken Report may be submitted at least three days before the date of hearing fixed by e-mail at judicial- [email protected] preferably in the form of searchable PDF/OCR Supported PDF and not in the form of Image PDF.
6. List for further consideration on 22.05.2024.
7. A copy of this order, along with a copy of the application and documents attached with the same, be forwarded to the Member Secretary, Punjab Pollution Control Board, and the District Magistrate, Ropar by e-mail for requisite compliance.
Arun Kumar Tyagi, JM Dr. Afroz Ahmad, EM April 09th, 2024 N