HC grants permission for felling of old trees

SHILLONG, SEPT 1: The Meghalaya High Court today granted permission to the forest department to cut precarious trees in and around the city of Shillong.

In its order issued here on Friday, the division bench headed by chief justice Dinesh Maheshwari said, “While leaving aside the other aspects of the matter at present, we deem it appropriate to order that if at all cutting of any tree is considered absolutely necessary and absolutely unavoidable by the respondents, necessary process with reference to the facts stated in the letter of the Divisional Forest Officer dated 01.09.2017 may be taken up.

Having regard to the circumstances of the case, the bench however ordered that the Joint Registrar of this Court Kerpa ML Nongbri shall function as a Commissioner in this matter who shall be informed by the concerned Forest Officer of any process if taken up for cutting or pruning of trees.

“If any such process is taken up, the Commissioner shall make a specific report in this regard,” it stated.

Moreover, the bench also directed that all the parts after pruning or felling of any tree/s shall remain in the custody of the receiver already appointed in this matter.

“For carrying out any such process, the receiver shall simultaneously be informed, who shall make necessary inventory and submit the report to the Court,” it stated.

This was after the office of the Divisional Forest Officer submitted a letter before the Court. As per the contents of the letter, there are certain trees in and around the city of Shillong, which are said to be in dangerous condition and said to have been verified by the Range Forest Officer.

It also stated that heavy rainfall is expected over the coming days and early action may prevent mishap.

The cognizance in this matter was taken up by the Court on August 18, when the petitioner pointed out indiscriminate cutting down/felling of trees in and around the city of Shillong after an unfortunate accident on12.08.2017, when due to uprooting and felling of a eucalyptus tree that was situated within the Raj Bhavan Campus, three persons died and various others were injured, on being crushed by the said tree.

By Our Reporter