The Madras High Court has restrained Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited (TIDCO) and Tamil Nadu Iron Ore Mining Corporation Limited (TIMCO) from cutting trees and mining in Kanjamalai and Kavuthimalai reserved forest areas, even as related petitions were pending before the apex court.
Disposing of a PIL by advocate S. Gnaneswaran, the First Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T.S. Sivagnanam restrained the two organisations from cutting trees and mining in these areas until the outcome of related proceedings in the apex court .
The PIL sought a direction to authorities not to grant permission to these organisations .
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The petitioner submitted that while the project was to mine one million tones of iron ore a year, the Central Empowered Committee order stated that the permission sought for felling 2,22,397 trees over 325 hectare may not be granted .
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The committee further noted that several species of endangered flora and fauna, water and air quality in and around the districts of Tiruvannamalai and Salem could be affected, the PIL stated.
A counter affidavit stated that the interim applications by the TIDCO and TIMCO were pending decision before the Supreme Court and no work has commenced.
“In view of the aforesaid statements made in the counter affidavit nothing will be done contrary to the same and the parties will await the orders of the Supreme Court. This implies neither mining nor cutting of the trees would be carried out in the area and that would be subject to the outcome of the proceedings before the Supreme Court,” the Bench said.