Guj HC pulls up govt as 1,200 trees are felled for commercial complex

The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday came down heavily on the state government after finding out that around 1,200 fully-grown trees were felled by a local authority in Gir Somnath district for construction of a commercial complex.

The HC, which was hearing a PIL, stayed all activities on that land and asked the authorities to ''undo'' what they had done, adding that the ''day is not far off when we will have to borrow oxygen''.

''This is how you are bulldozing the trees? Well-grown trees, and it is a beautiful, mini forest, which you yourself created under the name of the Honourable Prime Minister and you want to cut it overnight?'' Chief Justice Aravind Kumar said while looking at the photographs submitted to the court.

The government pleader told the court the land belongs to the municipality and the trees cut were part of the ''unreserved category'' that are classified to be felled for development purposes, adding that the local administration had resolved to plant over one lakh trees in its place.

Not impressed, the HC said, in that case, the construction of the building would be allowed only after the one lakh trees are fully grown up and turn into a forest eight years from now.

''Undo what you have done, you do that, let eight years be completed, let the trees become like this, and then will permit you to put up your commercial complex,'' he said.

The division bench of CJ Kumar and Justice Hemant Prachchhak then passed an order stating that ''none of the respondents shall carry out any activity (on the land) in Veraval in Gir Somnath district without express permission from the court.'' Petitioner Vijay Sagar's PIL stated that, in 2008, a mini forest was developed in Veraval-Patan municipality area as part of the government's afforestation scheme with the planting of around 1,200 trees. Ten years later, it said, the local municipality brought about modification in the town planning scheme to develop a shopping complex in the area and work orders were issued.

During the pendency of the PIL, the authorities felled around 1,200 trees on the plot, he said.

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