HC positive on PIL against green cover

PUNE: A city-based environmentalist had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court recently to put a stop on the construction activities on the green belt of Mula and Mutha rivers. The Chief Justice has given a positive sign mentioning that for two months now the construction activities on the green belt of Mula and Mutha and metro and road work at Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary will also be stopped.

Earlier this year, Satish Khot, a city-based environmentalist, had filed PIL 159/2018 at Bombay High Court and had recently received a positive reply from the Chief Justice. Khot said, “For several years now, the Pune Municipal Corporation has been cutting down the green cover and permitting private builders to construct residential and commercial buildings by demarking the reservations on the green belt, which, in near future is going to affect the citizens of the city.”

“The Chief Justice has recently ordered a ‘Status Quo’ till the hearing of the parties on their appearance. The court said that the proposed sanctioned plan of the State would financially benefit private builders/developers. They seem to be interested in getting it de­reserved. The deletion of the reservation is against public interest and is contrary to the purpose and object of the enactment. Therefore, there should be interim protection for the same,” he said.