Bombay High Court Bans Mining, Tree Felling In Green Zone
Author:
First published in Sanctuary Asia,
Vol. 32
No. 4,
April 2012
The report, which is yet to be publicized by the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF), has recommended that the Western Ghats be declared an ecologically-sensitive zone (ESZ). It has called for a complete stop to mining leases in the ESZ 1.
The division bench of Justices D D Sinha and V K Tahilramani was hearing a public interest litigation to not allow a public hearing for a mining lease in Zolande village, which is part of the wildlife corridor.
The PIL was filed by activist Sumaira Abdulali. The court was informed that when the PIL was filed last year, a forest department report showed that 18 lakh trees had been felled in the 22-km corridor. In the last year, another five lakh trees were felled, it said. Read the full report here.
Source: Times News Network, Mumbai.
