The Hindu : National : Replantation, too simplistic a solution to destruction: court

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Replantation, too simplistic a solution to destruction: court

J. Venkatesan

New Delhi: Destruction of a large number of trees in a forest cannot be compensated merely by planting new saplings there, the Supreme Court has eld.

“We find from experience and observation that re-forestation or afforestation that is being carried out in India does not meet the fundamentals. Planting of new trees to match the numbers removed is too simplistic and archaic a solution as, in the guise of compensatory re-plantation, local varieties of trees are being replaced with alien and non-indigenous ones, but fast growing varieties such as poplar and eucalyptus which make up the numbers cannot satisfy the needs of our environmental system,” said a Bench consisting of Justices Tarun Chatterjee and H.S. Bedi.

Writing the judgment, Justice Bedi said: “There is yet another circumstance which is even more disturbing in as much as the removal of an existing forest or trees suited to the local environment has destroyed the eco system dependent on them. This is evident from the huge depletion of wildlife on account of the disturbance of the habitat arising out of the destruction of the forest cover.”

The Bench said: “A small but significant example is the destruction of plantations alongside arterial roads; 30 years ago all arterial roads had a huge peripheral forest cover, which not only provided shade and shelter to the traveller but was also a haven to a large variety and number of birds and old wildlife peculiar to that area.”

The Bench said: “With the removal of these plantations to widen the roads to meet the ever growing needs of traffic, and their replacement with trees of non-indigenous varieties (which often are not eco or bird friendly) in the restricted and remaining areas bordering the widened roads, the shelter for birds has been destroyed. Where thousands of birds once nested and bred, there has been a virtual annihilation of the bird life as well.”

Lease cancelled

In the instant case, the Goa government leased out 12 hectares of forest land to Chowgule and company for establishing an export oriented unit. On a petition from the Goa Foundation that over 3,000 trees were to be destroyed on this land, the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court cancelled the lease.

Dismissing the company’s appeal, the Supreme Court agreed with the findings of the High Court that the area leased out was indeed forest land and a large number of trees would have to be cut for the project which could not be allowed.

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