Afforestation on BSF land near border: HC issues notices

From The Times Of India
TNN, Sep 1, 2010,


AHMEDABAD: Gujarat High Court has sought explanation from the Adani-owned Mundra Port & Special Economic Zone (MPSEZ), the state forests department, the Union defence ministry, Kutch district collector and the National Biodiversity Authority in connection with the allotment of 2,000 hectare land in possession of BSF for afforestation. 

In September last year, the Union ministry of environment and forest granted permission to MPSEZ to take and industrially develop the 2008.41 hectare reserve forest land. The land falls in Mundra and Dhrub villages in the Kutch east forest division. 

The land was given to MPSEZ on certain condition that it would have to make compensatory afforestation over equivalent non-forest land and to bear the cost of raising and maintaining compensatory afforestation. 

A Congressman from Kutch, Adam Chaki filed a PIL in the high court alleging that the land reserved for afforestation was in the northern part of Kutch. He claimed that it was near the border adjoining Pakistan. The petitioner has also alleged that the land reserved to create a forest was actually in possession of the Border Security Force. 

The petitioner also claimed that the land had been reserved, for afforestation by the corporate house, in violation of the conditions laid down by the Centre. Chaki also claimed that if forest was created on BSF land near the border, it could cause threat to security of the nation. 

After hearing the PIL, a bench headed by Chief Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya issued notices to all concerned parties seeking explanation over the issue. Further hearing was kept on September 20.