Summary
A few months ago, Jhatkaa.org had filed a Public Interest Litigation challenging an ongoing road construction by KRDCL in the absence of a mandatory EIA and prior Environmental Clearance inthe eco sensitive zone of Bannerghatta National park.
In the last hearing on 7 April 2021, the High Court of Karnataka had ordered an enquiry into the tree felling at Uraganadoddi in the ESZ if Bannerghatta National park after KRDCL could not provide an explanation for the trees that were cut on the surrounding road widening project.
Arguments presented by KRDCL contradicted their own affidavit. They said there were no trees in the stretch but also mentioned that the trees felled were not by them. The high court then directed the state government to conduct an enquiry to find the real culprit.
This is a positive directive. But our fight is far from being over. Till the next hearing, we citizens have to be more vigilant towards such acts of indiscriminate cutting of trees.
