Madras HC temporarily bans tree-felling in Megamalai forest

MADURAI:  The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday directed the state forest department to file status reports on the progress of the departmental proceedings initiated against some forest officials for failing to prevent unauthorised felling of trees by an estate owner in Megamalai forest area, within six weeks. A Bench of justices R Mahadevan and J Sathya Narayana Prasad further directed the authorities not to permit anyone to cut trees in the reserve forest in the meantime.

The Bench issued the directions on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by MJ Jeyapal in 2013, seeking a CBI probe into the illegal cutting down of trees by the estate owner in the reserve forest of Megamalai wildlife sanctuary and the alleged involvement of the forest officials in the said illegal activity. According to the order, the district committee of Theni, in 2013, had granted permission to the estate owner to fell 199 murungai trees, 21 neem trees, 31,875 coffee plants and 14,600 cardamom plants, among others. But misusing the permission, the estate owner had allegedly cut down hundreds of trees of various species.

The authorities had informed the court that after the issue came to light, disciplinary action was taken against a wildlife warden, a forest range officer, a forester, forest guard and a forest watcher and they were suspended and transferred to other divisions. But the judges opined though the illegal activity had been reported way back in 2012, there is little to no progress in the departmental inquiry even after the lapse of ten years.

"Felling of trees in a reserve forest without prior permission from the competent authority is an illegal act. It not only depletes the forest cover, but disturbs the ecological balance in and around the area. It also leads to soil erosion and alters the micro-climate of the area, thereby affecting the wildlife habitat," the judges observed and issued the above directions. They further sought a report on the status of the criminal proceedings initiated against the estate owner with respect to the cutting down of 114 native trees in 2012.