MUMBAI: Stressing on the imperativeness of
Sawantwadi-Dodamarg corridor
comprising 25 south Konkan villages in Maharashtra to be declared an
Ecologically Sensitive Area
(ESA) sans delay,
Bombay High Court
recently directed the
Maharashtra government
to submit such a proposal to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests within four months. The Centre shall initiate the procedure for issuing such a declaration within two months, said the HC and sought issuance of a final
ESA notification
as early as possible after that.
Dodamarg in the Sindhudurg district has Goa to its south, Karnatak to the southeast and Sahyadri range in the north. It is “extremely rich in biodiversity” with Tilari river and a dam built on it, noted the HC.
The HC directed that its previous interim orders restraining tree cutting in the corridor shall continue until final notification is issued, after which it will be governed under provisions for the ESA.
In its 58-page detailed ruling of March 22, made available on Friday, Justices Nitin Jamdar and MM Sathaye said, despite overwhelming scientific evidence and a consensus on the importance of protecting the critical Sawantwadi-Dodamarg Corridor, “it is unfortunate that very little has been done over the past decade.’’
“ To make matters worse, large-scale deforestation is carried out in clear contravention of this Court's orders," the bench observed while hearing petitions by two NGOs-Awaaz Foundation and Vanashakti—seeking notification for 25 villages as ESA under the EP Act and rules.
Create a
task force
, said the HC, for compliance to ensure no trees are cut and also that the corridor doesn’t suffer ecological damage.
Awaaz Foundation had cited expert reports to seek the ESA tag and said tree authority data suggested that around eighteen lakh trees were felled in the preceding two years in Dodamarg forest circle alone.
The HC directed that the Sawantwadi-Dodamarg Task Force,shall issue necessary instructions to all concerned officers and shall adequately publicize the restraint orders.
It shall publish a dedicated email address, telephone number, and social media access for complaints regarding ecological damage and tree cutting in the Sawantwadi-Dodamarg Corridor and will take follow-up actions.
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