The National Green Tribunal has issued a notice to the Rajasthan government in a matter regarding the alleged felling of trees in the Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur district.
The NGT was hearing a letter petition claiming that many species of native trees were cut during the construction of the ‘kaccha path’ (trail) around the inside boundary wall and some ponds inside the park.
A bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel said the petition raised a “substantial issue regarding compliance environmental norms”.
In an order passed last week, the bench impleaded as parties or respondents in the matter several authorities, including the Rajasthan government represented by the principal chief conservator of forests and chief wildlife warden, member secretaries of the Taj Trapezium Zone, Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board and state wetland authority of Uttar Pradesh.
“Let notice be issued to the above respondents for filing their response,” the tribunal said.
The matter has been listed for further proceedings before the central zone bench in Bhopal on April 1.
