The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has castigated Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) for violating the environment laws and constructing buildings on Reserved Forest land. Incidentally, both the Government institutions have constructed their offices on Delhi Ridge land.
The NGT in its judgement in the case Union of India vs CHETNA, has directed the both (CISF and BPR&D) to pay a sum of Rs 10 lakh or five per cent of the project cost whichever is higher towards environmental compensation to be deposited with Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) for commencing construction without environmental clearance.
It is important to mention here that under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 (FC Act), use of forest land in protected areas (PAs) requires prior recommendation of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife and prior leave of the Supreme Court.
As per para 4.4 of the guidelines of the FC Act, it has been decided that if a project involves forest as well as non-forest land, work should not be started on non-forest land till approval is given by the Central Government for release of forest land.
According to environmentalists, geologists and activists, the southern ridge acts as the green lung of the national Capital. Moreover, any type of pucca construction on forest reserve area not only offsets the ecological balance, but the construction impacts the groundwater table also.
However in this case, the Department of Environment, Forest and Wildlife, the Government of National Capital Territory, on August 11, 2014, allowed both the
agencies to construct on reserved forest land without putting this information in public domain.
Meanwhile, people have come out against the construction work on the southern ridge.
Earlier , KTS Tulsi, former Addition Solicitor General (ASG) of India, and member of the Rajya Sabha said, “To start construction without the permission of the Supreme Court is contempt of court.”
The construction site, Mahipalpur Gram Sabha is a part of forest reserve area and as per a judgement dated March 13, 1996 in the case of MC Mehta vs Union of India, KTS Tulsi, who was the ASG then, had assured the SC that the CRPF would vacate the area occupied by the training camp and no construction would be done in future.
