E-Paper
Chandigarh: DGA questions UT forest department’s authority
The UT forest department had raised an issue with the Union ministry that many projects in Mohali are being developed without obtaining wildlife clearance
The director general of audit (DGA) (central) raised an issue in its audit report concerning the jurisdiction of the UT forest department. The report questions the authority under which the department has raised concerns about wildlife clearance with the Union ministry, given that most of the projects are situated in Mohali, Punjab.
The UT forest department had raised an issue with the Union ministry that many projects in Mohali are being developed without obtaining wildlife clearance.
In the audit report on the forest department, the DGA stated, “Under which authority was the forest department of Chandigarh pursuing matters related to projects located in Punjab?”
According to the report, the UT forest department has raised concerns about wildlife clearance with the Union ministry, encompassing various projects in Mohali, including group housing commercial, residential, and institutional sites in Sector 88-89, SAS Nagar; Medicity, Phase I and II in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh by Greater Mohali Area Development (GMADA); the commercial project “The Palm” in Mullanpur Garibdas, Dhanuran, and Mastgarh, Mohali, Punjab; and the “Super Mega Mixed-use Integrated Industrial Park” in Sector 82, 83, and 66A Mohali, and Galaxy Heights by M/s Janta Land Promoters Limited.
RK Garg, an RTI activist, who obtained information under the RTI Act, stated that many buildings in Chandigarh have been constructed without wildlife clearance, but the UT administration has not taken any action. He also questioned why Punjab forest authorities have not taken action against such projects on similar grounds.
When pointed out, the UT forest department stated that a detailed examination of observations would be conducted, and the final reply is awaited, according to the report.
The report further mentioned that a proposal for wildlife clearance for all the mentioned projects (except Medicity) was sent to the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India, in 2017. Additionally, a letter was sent regarding Godrej Estate Developers Private Limited to inquire whether the construction violated the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Replies for all the cases were awaited at the time of the audit, and the record related to these projects was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on May 23, 2023.
The auditor questioned the reasons or factors causing delays in obtaining wildlife clearance for these projects in a timely manner. It also sought details of efforts made between 2017 and May 2, 2023, including the list of projects for which permission was demanded and granted by the department.
No periodical inspections
The audit report also highlighted the absence of periodical inspections by the forest department to ensure no prohibited activity occurred in the jurisdiction of the wetland. Objections/suggestions from the public and NGOs had not been resolved or incorporated into wetland rules and regulations. No activity report was prepared by the department, and no mechanism was formulated for monitoring prohibited/regulated/promoted activities in the Sukhna Wetland and its zone of influence within the boundary of UT, as listed in Schedule-II, III, and V of the wetland notification.
In response to these observations, the department stated that the wetland of Chandigarh was notified on June 16, 2020. The wetland management plan, prepared by a third party, is under revision, and approval will be accorded shortly from the competent authority. The report deemed this reply as untenable, noting that the department has not complied with provisions even after more than two years of the wetland act notification. Therefore, the possibility of violations of the act cannot be ruled out at this stage, and the final reply is awaited.
