Delhi HC seeks Centre's stand on PIL over denotification of protected forest areas

New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the stand of the Centre on a plea raising concerns over the National Board of Wildlife and its standing committee allegedly permitting "large scale and illegal diversion, reduction and denotification" of 'protected areas' that include national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and tiger reserves. A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia issued notice on the public interest litigation (PIL) petition by 10 individuals, including former IAS and IFS officers, and asked the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) to file their replies. Senior advocate Prashanto C Sen and lawyer Shibani Ghosh appeared for the petitioners. In the PIL, the petitioners said that urgent directions were required for effective protection of the 'protected areas' under the Wildlife (Protection) Act as the NBWL and its delegate -- the standing committee of the NBWL -- were functioning in total disregard of their constitutional and statutory duties. It asserted that while the NBWL is expected to meet once a year, it met after a gap of 13 years in 2025, and its operational arm, the standing committee, has been "recklessly permitting proposals for diversion of Protected Areas". The PIL claimed that the committee considers over 100 proposals in a one-day meeting and has become a "clearing house". Over 97 per cent of the proposals for denotification, diversion or reduction of 'protected area' land considered by the standing committee between 2014 and 2026 were approved, it added. "Activities that are being permitted do not in any way serve the stated statutory goals of conservation and better management of wildlife and its habitat. The SC-NBWL has mechanically approved hundreds of proposals with almost no scrutiny or application of mind, based on scant ecological and scientific evidence, limited expert assessment of the impacts and no transparency," the plea alleged. "On 26.06.2025, the Committee allowed diversions of about 1,730 ha for Highways, Roads, Mobile towers, Helipad, black granite mining in ESZ, Apartment complex in ESZ, oil drilling in ESZ, Power stations and lines, drinking water projects and open cast mining in Western Coalfields Limited in District Chandrapur within the tiger corridor connecting Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve Kanhargoan Wildlife Sanctuary - Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary in Chandrapur District, Maharashtra," it further said. The PIL informed that the country has over 1,134 'protected areas' covering approximately 5.28-5.43 per cent of its total geographical area, which include the national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and tiger reserves that are crucial for the ecological, food and water security of this country. "By facilitating and supporting the poor functioning of the NBWL and SCNBWL, the Union of India, through the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has effectively permitted the loss of lakhs of 12 hectares of land that were part of India's invaluable Protected Areas, and which the State held in public trust. "Permitting the decimation of protected wildlife habitats, and the ecosystem they support, violates the fundamental right to life enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution of India that includes the right to live in a healthy environment, and the right to be free from the adverse effects of climate change," stated the PIL. The matter would be heard next in September. PTI ADS KSS KSS