SC notice to U'khand govt on plea seeking restoration of forest area in Pauri

The Supreme Court has sought a response from the Uttarakhand government on a plea seeking restoration of forest area in Gadoli-Mandakhal in the state's Pauri district.

A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Hemant Gupta issued notices to the Uttarakhand government and others while directing them to file their replies in six weeks.

The top court was hearing a plea filed by Subir Mario Chowfin, who had approached the apex court against the October 8, 2018 order of the tribunal, dismissing his plea noting that he had undertaken multiple proceedings before various forums and multiple cause of actions have been raised in his petition.

Noting that the case is one where plural remedies have been raised on different cause of action, the NGT had junked his plea.

Chowfin has claimed that Gadoli and Mandakhal villages in Pauri is a forest area and alleged that despite the injunction orders, non-forest activity is still being carried on in the forest area or a deemed forest area.

"Direct the respondents to restore the forest areas and grove land areas within a fixed time frame where the bypass and unmetalled roads have been constructed illegally, remove all structures within the forest areas of Gadoli and Mandakhal, including electric poles, lines and transformers and high tension wires, as well as stopping the tapping of water sources," the plea said.