UP Government cannot justify felling of trees for Ramdev’s food park, says HC

The Allahabad High Court on 29 August 2017 expressed strong dissatisfaction over possible felling of trees for the construction of Ramdev’s food park in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

The court disapproved Uttar Pradesh government’s offer of adequate compensation to the Noida resident, on whose land the proposed park is likely to be created.

A division bench comprising justices Tarun Agarwala and Ashok Kumar remarked that the government cannot justify its act of cutting down of trees on the basis that it will give adequate compensation to an affected individual. "Environment is for the whole society. The government can compensate an individual but how will it compensate the entire society," the court asked.

Background

The issue was brought up while the bench was hearing a petition filed by Asaf of Gautam Buddh Nagar district, who challenged the allotment of 4500 acres of land to the Sansthan.

The petitioner had alleged that he had been granted a 30-year lease for 200 bighas of land for plantation of trees and the state government had now allotted the same for the proposed food park which was illegal.

The petitioner had further alleged that about 6000 trees planted on the land leased out to him were likely to be cut down for the food park, inflicting a heavy damage to the environment.