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11. The Public Interest Litigation No. 198/2014 filed by Vanashakti, a non-governmental organization seeks a direction to declare the Dodamarg taluka as ecologically fragile and has sought skn 11 PILs-179.2012 and 198.2014-2.doc various directions in that regard. The Petitioner has also highlighted the importance of the Western Ghats region in terms of its ecological sensitivity, particularly concerning Dodamarg. This Petition also refers to the Report of the Sen Committee and, in turn, the Report of Western Ghats Ecological Panel and other reports. This Petitioner was particularly aggrieved by the office memorandum issued on 17 October 2013 by the Central Government, which lifted the moratorium on the activities and therefore sought the quashing of the said office memorandum. The Counsel for the Petitioner- Vanashakti, informed us that ,during the pendency of the Petition that the memorandum was withdrawn and this Public Interest Litigation (PIL) No.198/2014 also continues only concerning the Sawantwadi-Dodamarg Corridor.

12. In PIL No. 179/2012, various orders have been passed since 2012, and thereafter, from 2014, common orders have been passed in both PIL No. 179/2012 and PIL No. 198/2014. These orders passed over a decade have crystallized the issue and as our narration of the orders would show the common thread running through all the orders is the need to protect the Sawantwadi- Dodamarg Corridor.

13. The main order passed in these petitions is dated 27 September 2013 passed by the Division Bench, (Dr. D.Y. Chandrachud as His Lordship then was and M.S. Sonak JJ). The skn 12 PILs-179.2012 and 198.2014-2.doc order dated 27 September 2013 reads as follows:

21. Since there was no progress on the declaration of the Sawantwadi-Dodamarg Corridor as an Ecologically Sensitive Area for a decade, Interim Application No. 556/2022 was taken out in PIL No. 198/2014 by Petitioner- Vanashakti, seeking direction to the Respondents for declaration by giving effect to the directions skn 23 PILs-179.2012 and 198.2014-2.doc issued by this Court in the order dated 27 September 2013. A grievance was also made about the fact that despite the embargo on tree cutting/felling in Dodamarg Taluka, District- Sindhudurg, the tree felling took place in contravention of the Court orders.

26. The Petitioner, Vanashakti, has filed an additional affidavit and placed the Report of the Wild Life Institute of India on record. Thus, the pleadings are complete and we have taken the petitions for hearing.

27. Mr. Zaman Ali, learned Counsel for the Petitioners in PIL No.198/2014. Ms. Bhakti Jain, learned Counsel for the Petitioner in PIL No.179/2012 . We have heard Mr. Rui Rodrigues, learned Counsel for the Union of India in PIL No.179/2012 and Mr. Parag Vyas, learned Counsel for the Union of India in in PIL- 198/2014 and Mr. M.M. Pabale, Assistant Government Pleader for Respondent- State.