The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) to consider issuing an amended notification regarding the guidelines for “wood-based industries”, after a plea contended that issuing an advisory regarding the issue is not adequate.
Directing the Ministry to consider the suggestions made by the Indian Institute of Sustainable Development (IISD), a Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Adarsh Kumar Goel said: “Counsel for the applicant submits that the stand of the MoEF shows that only an advisory was to be issued, which is not an adequate measure for strengthening forest protection and monitoring system to check illegal felling of trees for making charcoal.”
“Once it is acknowledged by the MoEF that suggestions of the applicant is worth consideration, it [the Ministry] ought to have issued an appropriate notification amending the [relevant guidelines],” it noted.
The authorities have been asked to comply within four weeks.
Earlier, the IISD had moved a plea seeking a ban on the use of charcoal as raw fuel material by industries. It had also sought preparation of a forest management plan. The Ministry had contended that following previous orders of the Tribunal, it had issued an advisory to all State governments to strengthen forest protection and set up a monitoring system to check illegal felling of trees for making charcoal.