Himachal Pradesh High Court upholds ban on forest road construction

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has upheld its ban on the construction and tarring of forest roads, maintaining a directive that prohibits such activities until further orders. A division bench, including Chief Justice G. S. Sandhawalia and Justice Bipin C. Negi, reiterated the order during hearings regarding public interest litigations focused on infrastructure in ecologically sensitive zones.

During the proceedings, an amicus curiae presented evidence of 55 roads in the Nachan Forest Division, located within the Seraj Assembly constituency of Mandi district, that were allegedly built in violation of the Himachal Pradesh Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. The court was informed that in most instances, roads were constructed on the ground before the necessary forest clearances had been requested or received from user agencies.

Additional environmental concerns were raised, including alleged irregularities in permissions granted under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, which reportedly failed to serve forest dwellers or conservation goals. The court also addressed the impact of 16 helipads in the Seraj area on wildlife and the large-scale felling of green trees for road development.