NGT asks Pune collector & forest dept to file response over compensatory tree plantation in Mulshi

The National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) principal bench in New Delhi has directed the principal chief conservator of forests, the chief wildlife warden, and the Pune district collector to file responses regarding the issue of compensatory plantation in Mulshi. 

This directive follows a recent incident where a builder was fined Rs 8 lakh for illegally chopping over 800 trees over the past eight years. The responses must be submitted a week before the next hearing, scheduled for July 19.

Tribunal’s Observations

The NGT bench, chaired by Justice Prakash Shrivastava, with judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member A. Senthil Vel, took suo motu cognizance of a media report highlighting the situation. On May 20, the bench noted that the case indicated violations of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, and the Environment Protection Act, 1986. The tribunal emphasized the need for compliance with environmental norms and the implementation of related legal provisions.

Lack of Compensatory Measures

While the forest department has fined the builder responsible for the illegal deforestation, the NGT pointed out that the report did not mention any actions taken for compensatory plantation or environmental compensation. The bench, therefore, involved the three authorities as respondents in the case and referred it to the Green Tribunal’s western region bench in Pune.

The issue was initially brought to light by the Vasundhara Social Upliftment Tree Planting and Tree Conservation Cooperative Society in Mulshi. The society filed a complaint on March 7, alleging that the developer had felled over 400 trees planted by them in 2016, as well as an additional 400 naturally grown trees on their six hectares of land over the past eight years.

On April 2, the forest department fined the developer Rs 8 lakh for cutting down 800 trees without proper administrative permission in Nere village of Mulshi taluka. The fine was calculated at Rs 1,000 per tree under sections 3 and 8 of the Maharashtra Cutting of Trees (Regulation) Act, 1964. The developer admitted to the crime during an investigation by the range forest officer at Bhare, where a statement was recorded.

The NGT’s directive for responses on compensatory plantations underscores the importance of not only penalizing environmental violations but also ensuring remedial measures are in place to mitigate the ecological damage caused. The upcoming hearing will likely focus on how the authorities plan to implement these compensatory measures and enforce environmental compliance in similar future cases.