“Metro Rail is undoubtedly required. But development has to be balanced and sustainable. The Maidan is a huge lung space and should be protected,” Leading Justice T S Sivagnanam noticed date passing an form restraining Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) from felling or transplanting any timber earlier than getting the needful clearances from suitable government.
The court docket form on Friday clarified that development of the Metro had now not been prohibited and that most effective curbs have been put on felling or transplanting of timber until the later listening to.
The RVNL in its affidavit contested the petitioner’s declare that queries made thru RTI to it had now not been responded and identified that they’d been addressed incorrectly. The affidavit additionally said that the query of felling or transplanting timber does now not be on one?s feet at this level as they had been nonetheless in strategy of looking for permission from the Military that’s the custodian of the Maidan and the situation woodland section that has to serve permission for felling of any tree in Kolkata.
The RVNL recommend additional mentioned most effective gardens the place the Metro stations are proposed within the Maidan have been cordoned and that timber that have been known for conceivable re-plantation at a nearest level have been marked.
Date acknowledging that the petitioner will have erred in sending the RTI to every other cope with, the CJ time and again requested the RVNL not to view the PIL as adverse however person who used to be aimed to offer protection to the greenery within the Maidan.
“We are very conscious of the fact that the project is conceived, developed and to be implemented in public interest. Therefore RVNL should not be considering this litigation as an adversarial party, saying that I will fight with the petitioners. The petitioner has flagged an issue, he has got some information to say 700 trees, it can be 625, or it can be only 60 trees. The approach should be different from the usual one and look at how to implement the project while striking a balance. Less than 30% of the trees that are transplanted survive,” the CJ identified.
The topic will arise for listening to on December 19. The bench directed the situation, situation heritage fee, MoEF and the Normal Officer Commanding (GOC), Bengal Department, of the Military to record affidavits pointing out their be on one?s feet at the PIL through December 7. The court docket additionally granted RVNL and PUBLIC to record additional affidavits with replies to them being despatched through December 15.
