The Meghalaya High Court has initiated suo motu proceedings following reports of extensive and unchecked tree felling in Lawsohtun, East Khasi Hills, which has caused significant environmental degradation and altered the landscape. A Division Bench, led by Chief Justice I.P. Mukerji and Justice W. Diengdoh, heard a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on Tuesday aimed initially at stopping illegal tree cutting in Lower New Colony, Laitumkhrah. As hearings progressed, the Court broadened the PIL’s scope to encompass issues affecting the entire East Khasi Hills district, and eventually similar issues statewide.
During the hearings, the Bench noted that the state government had not submitted the requested action-taken report. When the matter was revisited on June 12, 2025, the Bench adjourned until June 24 to allow the government time to comply. Authorities subsequently submitted a report dated June 20. Before reviewing this report, the Court expressed serious concern after Senior Advocate S. Paul, representing the petitioner, highlighted rampant tree felling in Lawsohtun. The Bench deemed the environmental impact alarming and instructed the petitioner to submit a sworn affidavit to formalize the allegations.
Based on these oral submissions, the Court officially recognized the issue. The government’s report stated it had established a three-member State-Level Committee tasked with executing the Court’s directives. This committee is chaired by the Chief Conservator of Forests (T) from Shillong, and includes Dr. Krishna Upadhaya, an Associate Professor of Environmental Science at North-Eastern Hill University, and the Secretary of the Forests and Environment Department.
Upon review, the Bench criticized the Committee for overly relying on Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs) and for taking limited independent actions. It pointed out that the Committee categorized trees as dead, alive, or salvageable through branch lopping, often based solely on DFO reports without independent verification. The Court stressed the importance of on-site inspections and random verification of the DFO assessments. It directed the Committee to actively monitor tree conditions and to issue necessary directives, emphasizing that it should not function merely as a review body.
In response to claims regarding Lawsohtun, the Court mandated the Committee to quickly obtain a report from the concerned DFO. It further ruled that no tree felling or branch cutting would be permitted until the Committee completes its evaluation, except where a tree poses an immediate danger to life or property. The Court has instructed all involved parties to submit a detailed status or action-taken report by July 18.
Original Source: https://nenow.in/north-east-news/meghalaya/meghalaya-hc-orders-state-to-stop-illegal-logging-review-forest-practices.html
Category: Meghalaya,Northeast News,Top News
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Publish Date: 2025-06-26 09:30:00
