Nagpur: Let tree authority decide on Ajni Vann first, says Bombay HC

NAGPUR: The Nagpur bench of Bombay high court on Wednesday termed the public interest litigations (PILs) filed by Save Ajni Van crusaders as “premature”.
While turning down the demand to stay felling of trees for the proposed Inter-Modal Station (IMS) project at Ajni, a division bench comprising Justice Sunil Shukre and Justice Anil Kilor told the petitioners to let the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s tree authority hear and decide on the 7,000 objections first.
Adjourning the hearing of two PILs on the same subject, which are clubbed together, the bench directed the petitioners to raise their contentions before the tree authority.
w
The first PIL was filed by Ajay Tiwari and Shweta Burbure through counsel M Anil Kumar, while the second was by Swachha Foundation secretary Sharad Paliwal through RM Tahaliyani.
“Since the tree officer is seized of the matter, we are of the view that unless a decision is recorded by him, it may not be appropriate for the court to look into the issues sought to be raised in the petitions. An appropriate decision from the tree officer would make the picture clearer. It would help us in dealing with various issues involved in the PILs,” said the judges.
Earlier, National Highways Authority of India counsel Anand Parchure said the tree officer would be hearing objections regarding their application to fell and translocate the trees at Ajni for the IMS. He pointed out that over 7,000 objections were received by the NMC and it would take appropriate decision shortly. The NMC has organised a public hearing for deciding the objections.
Watch Shiv Sena opposes cutting of trees at Ajni Vann for Inter-Modal Station project in Nagpur