SC asks U'khand govt to withdraw work order in Rajaji Tiger Reserve

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday directed the Uttarakhand government to withdraw the work order for the construction of a road passing through a corridor between the Rajaji and Corbett Tiger Reserves.

A bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra and Deepak Gupta passed the order after the counsel appearing for Uttarakhand said the state would approach the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) for obtaining approvals for the road. The apex court was hearing a plea which sought stay on construction of roads, bridges and culverts on the Laldhang Chillarkhal Road passing through corridor between the Rajaji and Corbett Tiger Reserves.

The bench said it is open for the state government to approach the MoEF in accordance with the law for obtaining the requisite approval under the provisions of Wildlife Protection Act. Advocate A D N Rao, assisting the top court as an amicus curiae in the matter, said the court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has filed its report on the issue. The state government had earlier told the court that not "even an inch" of widening of road is going to be made there. During the hearing on Monday, the bench expressed displeasure that some widening work was apparently done there despite the statement made by counsel appearing for the state, upon receiving instruction from a senior government official, that no such thing would happen.

The state's counsel told the bench that no new widening of road was done there.

"When a senior officer of the government is making a statement in the court, he should be aware of what he is saying," the bench observed.

The CEC had earlier told the bench that the state action of allowing construction of road in the forest area was violative of the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act.