Jattan Singh Gill
Jammu Tawi, Aug 2: The remaining forest cover within and around Jammu city is subjected to fast denuding, thanks to vandalism- official or illegal while the forest department and environmentalists watch helplessly.
True to an old adage – ‘Nearer the Church farther from the God', a live example can be seen just inside the forest enclosure of Jammu and Kashmir High Court complex. A JCB and labour are working overtime to cut and uproot the growing trees and shrubs just in the backyard of new Lawyers Chambers building.
On enquiry, no one on the spot could explain what was going there. Interestingly, the JCB made its way into the enclosure from the busy approach road
to High Court- a common way for Judges, Advocates and public.
Jammu has already paid huge cost in terms of its weather going hot and humid by its available forests facing continuous onslaughts by encroachers and land mafia.
We spoke to few senior lawyers at High Court Bar and also at subordinate courts who feigned ignorance about any such activity. A senior advocate reacted by saying, ‘It is serious matter and no such deforestation activity should continue. He said, ‘Supreme Court of India is very strict on these matters and has termed felling of tree on forest land as illegal.' He further said that on an earlier occasion, the Apex court has even declined to the J&K High Court's plea to have an alternative approach road to the
court complex.
At a time when Jammu is fast losing it forest cover to unabated felling of trees, Judicial Activism has been playing its pivotal role to check such acts of vandalism and forest land grabbing. Role of J&K High Court as savior of forest, environment and ecology issues in our state is well known, how it is happening under the very nose of the High Court is not understandable.
Any constructions in this forest patch will definitely affect the environment and cause soil erosion as the site is slopping down towards existing nallah passing through the complex.
Our attempt to contact the concerned Divisional Forest Officer could not materialize.
Will someone help clear the mystery of denuding the said green patch?
