New Delhi, March 04 (HS): The Supreme Court has directed all state governments and union territories to form an expert committee within a month to identify forest areas. The bench headed by Justice BR Gavai directed that the expert committee should complete the process of identifying forest areas within six months under the provisions of the Forest Conservation and Development Rules.

The Supreme Court said that action will be taken against the Chief Secretaries and Administrators of the states who do not follow its orders. The Supreme Court said that under Rule 16 (1) of Forest Conservation and Development, all states and union territories have to identify these forest areas and prepare records. Without this, the Forest Conservation Act cannot be implemented.

In fact, the Supreme Court is hearing petitions challenging the amendments made in the Forest Conservation Act. Advocate Gopal Shankar Narayan, appearing for a petitioner, said that by amending the Forest Conservation Act, plantation of trees in place of felling of trees has been approved in principle. But trees should not be felled without identifying the forest area.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar