National Green Tribunal
Manoj Singh vs Principle Chief Conservator Of Forest on 15 December, 2023
Item No.10 Court No. 1
BEFORE THE NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL
PRINCIPAL BENCH, NEW DELHI
Original Application No. 560/2023
(I.A. No.866/2023)
Manoj Singh Applicant
Versus
Principal Chief Conservator of Forest,
Uttarakhand & Ors. Respondent(s)
Date of hearing: 15.12.2023
CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SUDHIR AGARWAL, JUDICIAL MEMBER
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ARUN KUMAR TYAGI, JUDICIAL MEMBER
HON'BLE DR. A. SENTHIL VEL, EXPERT MEMBER
Applicant: Mr. Manoj Singh, Applicant in Person (Through VC)
Respondent: Mr. Rahul Verma, AAG with Ms. Vandana, DM, Nainital
Mr. S.K. Pattnaik, Member Secretary with Mr. Mukesh Verma, Adv. for
UKPCB
Mr. Dhananjay Mohan, PCCF (WL)/CWLW
Mr. Karthik Jayashankar (Through VC), Mr. Agnish Aditya & Mr. Rahul
Jhangra, Advs. in I.A No. 866/2023
ORDER
I.A. No. 866/2023
1. This application has been filed by applicant seeking intervention/impleadment. This is an application filed by Gram Panchayat, Budhlakot stating that road in question is the only passage for villagers and that should not be closed and it is also stated that applicant has filed original application with malafide intention for benefit of its own Resort which has been constructed near Conservation Reserve Area.
2. Issue relating to passage relating to the Gram Panchayat is not within the jurisdiction of Tribunal under Section 14 and 15 of National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 (hereinafter referred to as 'NGT Act, 2010') and 1 we do not find that applicant seeking intervention is either a necessary or proper party and in his absence, matter may not be decided, effectively.
3. The application is accordingly rejected. Main Matter
4. In this Original Application (hereinafter referred to as 'OA') filed under Sections 14 and 15 of National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, applicant has raised grievance that some hotel owners, with the support of Forest Department, by demolishing and cutting reserve forest land located on slanting hills in Naina Devi Himalayan Bird Conservation Reserve in Budh-Pangot area of Nainital, Uttarakhand, have constructed the road. It is alleged that work of construction of road was done in 2017. Thereafter, widening of the said road had continued till December 2022 by cutting forest land on the sides of this road in violation of provisions of Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and guidelines dated 28.03.2019 issued by Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
5. Considering that the allegations made in OA shows prima facie violations of Environmental Law, this Tribunal vide order dated 21.09.2023 constituted a joint Committee comprising Wildlife Warden, Uttarakhand, Uttarakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board (UEP&PCB) and District Magistrate, Nainital requiring them to file a factual report.
6. Report dated 12.12.2023 has been filed on 13.12.2023 wherein following facts have been disclosed:-
"
मूल आवेदन सं ा 560/2023 म उ े खत माग नैनीताल पंगूट मोटर माग पर थत है मु मोटर माग से ऊपर की ओर पंगूट बीट, नैना आरि त वन क सं ा 15 थत है। जो िक आरि त वन है । िवषयगत े नैना दे वी िहमालयन प ी संर ण आरि ित के प म भी अिधसूिचत है । िनरी ण के दौरान गत माग का मापन करने पर ल ाई 25.00 मीटर तथा चौड़ाई औसतन लगभग 3.00 मीटर मापी गयी। थल का जी०पी०एस० ारिभक िब दु 2 (मु मोटर माग की ओर सेN29 25 14 E 79 25 47 H (ऊँचाई) 1971 मीटर पायी गयी। गत माग के दू सरे िसरे (िस र ाउड रस ट की ओर) जी०पी०एस० N29 25 15 E 79 25 46 Η (ऊँचाई) 2048 मीटर पायी गयी।
गत माग क ा है। माग पर िकसी भी कार से सी०सी० अथवा डामरीकरण नहीं िकया गया है । मौके पर मौजूद व े ािधकारी नैना ारा अवगत कराया गया, िक मा० मु मं ी पोटल 1905 पर ा िशकायतों का सं ान लेने के उपरा उ विणत माग को बैरीकैट लगाकर वाहनों की आवाजाही हे तु ब कर िदया गया था तथा लगभग 1 मीटर चौड़ाई का पैदल माग थानीय ामीणों के आवागमन हे तु छोड़ा गया है । गत माग लगभग 20 वष पूव बनाया जाना तीत होता है । मौके पर वष 2010 की गूगल ईमेज ली गई है िजसम उ विणत माग अ म होना दिशत हो रहा है । (संल क 1) िनरी ण के दौरान गत माग पर िकसी भी कार का वृ ों का पातन होना नहीं पाया गया है । इसके अित र विणत माग एवं उसके आस-पास कोई भी वृ पातन िकये जाने के िच /दू ठ नहीं पाये गये ह। विणत माग के िनमाण से व जीवों के वास थल एवं पयावरण को िकसी भी कार की ित होना िनरी ण के दौरान सं ान म नहीं आया है। वन िवभाग के ितिनिधयों ारा अवगत कराया गया िक गत माग को पूण प से ब करने के िलए मु सड़क की ओर से लगभग 10.00 मीटर दीवार ािवत की जायेगी। इसके अित र विणत माग के े फल 0.0075 हे े यर को तारबाड़ से ब करते ए वृ ारोपण िकया जायेगा। िजससे गत े का उपचार स व हो सकेगा। गत पैदल माग का लाभ िन होम े / होटल संचालकों एवं थानीय ामीणों को ा हो रहा है -
०सं० होम े / होटल संचालक एवं ामीणों के नाम होम े /होटल/ ाम का नाम
1. ी राजू बुधलाकोटी, ाम पंगूट, पो० पंगूट, संचालक िस र ाउ िजला नैनीताल कॉटे ज पंगूट
2. ी दीपक बुधलाकोटी, ाम पंगूट, पो० पंगूट, संचालक पाईन वुड िजला नैनीताल कॉटे ज
3. ी आन िस ाथ, ाम पंगूट, पो० पंगूट, संचालक माउ े न े ल िजला नैनीताल लौज
4. ी कैलाश च बुधलाकोटी, ाम पंगूट, पो० थानीय ामीण ाम पंगूट पंगूट, िजला नैनीताल
5. ी हरीश च बुधलाकोटी, ाम पंगूट, पो० थानीय ामीण ाम पंगूट पंगूट, िजला नैनीताल िनरी ण के दौरान गत थल के फोटो ाफ िलये गये ह, जो संल िकये जा रहे ह। (संल क 2)"
"1. The route mentioned in the original application no. 560/2023 is situated on Nainital Pangoot Motor Road. Naina Reserved Forest Room No. 15 is a reserved forest which is situated at the above level towards Pangoot Beat. The concerned area is also notified as Naina Devi Himalayan Bird Conservation Reserve. The length was measured to be 25.00 meters and the width was measured to be about 3.00 meters on an average during the inspection of road in question. The GPS starting point of the site (from the main motor road) was found to be N29 25 14 E 79 25 47 H (elevation) 1971 meters. At the other end of the road in question (towards Silver Cloud Resort) the GPS starting point N29 25 15 E 79 25 46 H (elevation) was found to be 2048 meters.3
2. The road in question is unpaved. No CC or asphalting has been done on the road in any way. Forest Range Officer Naina was present on the spot and informed that after taking cognizance of the 1905 complaints received on Honorable Chief Minister Portal, the above mentioned route was closed for vehicular movement by placing barricades and a walking path of about 1 meter width was made available for the local villagers. Released for traffic. The road in question appears to have been built about 20 years ago. A Google image of the year 2010 has been taken on the spot, which shows the existence of the above mentioned route. (Attachment 1)
3. During inspection, no fall of trees was found on the road in question. Apart from this, no signs/signs of felling of any trees were found on the described route and its surroundings. No damage of any kind to the habitat and environment of wild animals due to the construction of the described route has come to notice during the inspection. It was informed by the representatives of the Forest Department that to completely close the route in question, a wall of about 10.00 meters will be proposed from the main road. Apart from this, the area of 0.0075 hectare of the described route will be closed with wire fencing and plantation will be done due to which treatment of the area in question will be possible.
4. The following homestay/hotel operators and local villagers are getting the benefits of the walking route in question -
Sr. Names of Homestay / Hotel Name of Homestay / Hotel
No. Operators & Villages / Village
1. Sh. Raju Budhlakoti, Vill. Pangoot, Operator Silver Clound
PO: Pangoot, Distt. Nainital Cotttage, Pangoot
2. Sh. Deepal Bidhlakoti, Vill. Operator Pine Wood
Pangoot, PO: Pangoot, Distt. College
Nainital
3. Sh. Anand Siddharth, Vill. Pangoot, Operator Mountain Quail
PO: Pangoot, Distt. Nainital Lodge
4. Sh. Kailash Chander Budhlakoti, Local Villagers Vill. Pangoot
Vill. Pangoot, PO: Pangoot, Distt.
Nainital
5. Sh. Harish Chander Budhlakoti, Local Villagers Vill. Pangoot
Vill. Pangoot, PO: Pangoot, Distt.
Nainital
During the inspection, photographs of the road in question were taken are attached. (Attachment 2)"
7. Applicant has filed its objection but we do not find that anything substantial has been pointed out, to which is mentioned wrongly in the report. It is admitted by the applicant and in fact he could not show any provision, under which, such Kaccha road by use of land for passage, if created, is contrary to any law. We, therefore, accept the Report and do not find that any further order is required to be passed in the matter. 4
8. The application is accordingly disposed of.
Sudhir Agarwal, JM Arun Kumar Tyagi, JM Dr. A. Senthil Vel, EM December 15, 2023 Original Application No. 560/2023 (I.A. No.866/2023) SN 5