Supreme Court Slams Uttarakhand Government Over Forest Land Encroachments

New Delhi:
The Supreme Court of India on Monday strongly criticized the Uttarakhand government for failing to prevent encroachments on forest land, stating that state officials remained mere “silent spectators” while illegal activities continued unchecked. The court took suo motu cognizance of the matter and directed the Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand to constitute a fact-finding committee and submit a detailed report.

A vacation bench comprising CJI Sunil Suryakant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi expressed shock at the inaction, stating, “What is most alarming is that the Uttarakhand government and its officials are witnessing encroachments on forest land before their eyes and remaining passive. Hence, we are taking cognizance of the matter ourselves.”

Key Directives by the Court

• The fact-finding committee must be constituted by the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary (Forests) to investigate encroachments.
• No third-party interventions or construction activities will be allowed on the affected land until further orders.
• The forest department will reclaim vacant lands, except those with residential houses, to ensure protection of government land.

The Supreme Court will review the progress after the holidays, hearing a petition filed by Anita Kandwal highlighting extensive illegal encroachments on Uttarakhand forest lands.

Protection of Great Indian Bustard

In a related move, the court also issued strict directions for the conservation of endangered species, including the Great Indian Bustard (Godavan) and the Lesser Florican, both on the brink of extinction. A two-judge bench comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and Atul S. Chandurkar ordered a ban on large solar parks, wind energy projects, and high-tension overhead power lines across a 14,753 sq. km area in Rajasthan and Gujarat to protect the natural habitat of these birds.

The orders aim to safeguard India’s ecological heritage and ensure that renewable energy development does not threaten critically endangered species.

Related