TN govt vows to curb illegal constructions in hill stations

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has told the Madras high court that it would enforce relevant rules and regulations to ensure that unauthorised construction activities, including digging trenches and road works, did not take place in hill stations such as Ooty, Kodaikanal and Yercaud. An undertaking to this effect was given before the first bench comprising Chief Justice A K Ganguly and justice F M Ibrahim Kalifulla, when a public interest writ petition filed by Elephant G Rajendran, managing trustee of In Defence of Environment and Animals (IDEA), came up for admission. Citing the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Hill Area (Preservation of Trees) Act 1955, Rajendran submitted that the legislation banned tree felling. He said that as per Section 4(1) no person should use any land having more than 30 degrees slope for any purpose other than growing trees. In violation of these mandatory provisions, district revenue and forest department officials were permitting roads and tree felling in the ecologically-fragile Ooty, Kodaikanal and Yercaud areas. Expressing concern at the unabated deforestation in these hill stations, Rajendran wanted the court to direct the authorities not to allow anyone to lay road, construct any buildings or levelling the slopes. He said the forest and revenue authorities shall be mandated to prevent use of these lands for any purpose other than the ones specified in the act. Government pleader Raja Kalifulla told the court that the government would follow the acts, rules and regulations for the preservation of forest in the hill regions. The judges, noting that strict action should be taken against violators, said Rajendran too could furnish specific details to the authorities for necessary action.

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