HC prohibits tree felling in Dodamarg again

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court (HC) has prohibited tree felling in the Dodamarg belt, a tiger and elephant corridor that connects Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary in Kolhapur in Maharashtra to Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka.

The order passed by a bench of chief justice Naresh Patil and justice MS Karnik on December 5, which was made public on Wednesday, directs the state government and Union environment ministry to declare the zone an ecologicallysensitivearea(esa). The HC had passed similar orders in 2013. “This is a fit case for the state and Central governments to take cognisance and appropriate steps to protect the wildlife and declare the said area as ESA,” read the order based on a petition filed by environment group Vanashakti. “We direct the respondents (various agencies under the state and Centre) not to allow tree cutting/felling in Dodamarg taluka, Sindhudurg district.”

HT was the first to report on October 22 that the elephant and tiger corridor along the Maharashtra-goa border in the Western Ghats had not been marked an ESA by the Union environment ministry The court took cognisance of the latest draft notification that left out Dodamarg. “The government

pleader has pointed out that, in fact, in the draft notification dated October 3, 2018, villages from Sawantwadi taluka were mentioned, but villages from Dodamarg have been excluded,” the order said. “We are not convinced with the reasons as to why such exclusion was made.”

The HC bench further directed that the counsel appearing for the Centre shall take instructions and make a statement in this regard on the next date of hearing, January 14. “We direct the Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change (MOEFCC) to take an independent decision in respect of the request made by the petitioners (to declare the area an ESA),” the order said.

The counsel representing MOEFCC said they will be declaring the area an ESA based on inputs from the Maharashtra government. “Our stand is the state has to earmark the villages in Dodamarg to be declared as ESA. We cannot do it on our own. We are awaiting the state’s response,” said Parag Vyas, advocate appearing for the Centre. The state government said the process to identify villages will soon be underway.