Meghalaya tree felling PIL: HPC conducts spot inspection, to submit report to HC on July 22

“We have carried out the physical verification and inspection of this site and took stock of the situation,” Advocate General Amit Kumar, who is also a member of the HPC, said. 

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SHILLONG: 

The five-member High Powered Committee (HPC), constituted by the Meghalaya High Court to look into the grievances highlighted in the PIL filed in connection with the felling of trees for a road project, conducted an inspection of the site at 7th Mile in Upper Shillong on Tuesday. 

“We have carried out the physical verification and inspection of this site and took stock of the situation,” Advocate General Amit Kumar, who is also a member of the HPC, said. 

He informed that the report to this effect will be placed before the High Court hopefully by July 22, the date of the hearing. 

“The Committee is hopeful they will be able to save the historic trees,” he added. 

The HPC was constituted to look into the specific grievances as sought to be highlighted in the instant PIL. The PIL was filed regarding the felling of the “heritage pine trees” for the widening of the Shillong-Dawki National Highway 40 in the vicinity of the Eastern Air Command headquarters at Upper Shillong, last month. 

The members of the HPC include -- Advocate General Amit Kumar, Senior Advocate Kaustav Paul, who is appearing in-person in the instant PIL, a representative of the Forest and Environment department forests and environment department, Government of Meghalaya, a representative of the respondent, National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL ) and a member of the public. 

Meghalaya Forest & Environment Minister James Sangma had said that the aged Cryptomeria japonica heritage trees along the roadside from Upper Shillong to Banium adjacent to the EAC headquarters have been entirely shielded except for eight trees including two diseased standing trees whose felling was necessary in view of a curve and narrow space for the proposed highway. 

This road, along the NH-40, is a part of the Shillong-Tamabil road project linking Meghalaya with Bangladesh and executed by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL). The proposed four-laning of this 15 km road was scheduled to start from Umshyrpi Bridge in Shillong to Baniun in the 7th mile, Upper Shillong.

(Edited by Ibankyntiew Mawrie)

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