NGT slaps ₹5 cr fine on UP govt for felling of trees in SP regime

LUCKNOW: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a fine of Rs 5 crore on the Uttar Pradesh government for illegal felling of trees and causing ecological loss at Chak Ganjaria on Sultanpur Road to develop a hi-tech city in 2013.

The NGT also asked the state government to take action against the guilty officials and undertake compensatory afforestation over 500 hectares. The fine has to be deposited with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) within three months. The amount will be utilised as part of the Environment Restitution Fund. Failure to deposit the fine in time will invite penal interest at the rate of 12%.

Secretary, forest, Uttar Pradesh government, regional officer of the ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF & CC) in Lucknow have been asked to monitor and ensure compliance of NGT’s directions.

Spread over 992-acres, the mega Rs 2,200 crore hi-tech township project was mooted by the SP government over what was earlier known as Chak Ganjaria Farm and comprises an IT City, a medi-city, a super-specialty cancer and cardiology centre, IIIT, modern dairy plant and an administrative training institute.

A large number of trees were cut to make way for the city and this was challenged by an NGO ‘We The People’ through its advocate Prince Lenin.

At SC, a bench of justices Ranjan Gogoi and Pinaki Chandra Ghose appointed A D N Rao as amicus curiae and asked him to file a report after getting information from the UP administration and the central ministry of environment and forests (MoEF). The SC referred the matter to NGT on March 6, 2017. “It is clear that there has been damage to the forest without following the due process of law. Though, counsel for LDA says permission was taken for some of the trees, no data has been furnished,” said the NGT bench comprising Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, Justice SP Wangdi and Dr Nagin Nanda ( expert member). The matter was pending for about five years.

LDA counsel Abhishek Choudhary informed the bench that 7,994 trees were cut after permission and Rs 96 lakh was deposited towards the cost of the trees. Besides, 1,19,000 trees were planted in lieu of the trees that were cut.

But the bench observed the data did not cover the illegally cut trees. Based on the satellite data, amicus curiae said the affected area was 50 hectares and suggested compensatory afforestation should be done on an area 10 times greater in size, that is equivalent to 500 hectares.

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