PANJIM: The Special Bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Goa government to prepare an action plan for undertaking compensatory afforestation in non-forest area towards use of forest land for construction of missing link-4-lane highway in Loutolim, Salcete.
The Bench comprising chairperson Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice Sudhir Agarwal has granted a month’s time to the project proponent to prepare the action plan and submit it to the Forest Department, who in turn may take a decision within a month’s time, pending which no further approvals will be granted.
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The court was hearing an appeal challenging the grant of stage-II forest clearance to the Executive Engineer, Public Works Department, Fatorda by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) for the diversion of 5.18 ha of forest land in Loutolim for construction of missing link-4-lane highway without ensuring suitable afforestation. The applicant said the land for compensatory afforestation should be non-forest land.
The NGT bench said the project proponent has to undertake afforestation in a suitable non-forest area which needs to be approved by the Forest Department.
“Accordingly, the project proponent may prepare an action plan with budgetary support and details of species of trees to be planted as well as other details within one month to the Forest Department, Goa who may take decision thereon within one month thereafter. Till the compliance, as directed is ensured, no further action in terms of approval may be undertaken”, the order reads.
The Tribunal had on July 10, 2018 issued notices to the respondents – the MoEF&CC, Project Proponent (PP), the PWD and the Forest Department.
