The National Green Tribunal’s principal bench on Wednesday directed Karnataka to take permission from the environment authority before felling any tree in the Yettinahole Irrigation Project area.
The bench, headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar, also asked the Karnataka government to submit proof of planting of saplings for cutting of trees at the rate of 10 saplings for each tree felled for the project.
Despite the tribunal’s order, trees have been felled on a large scale by the state government in the sensitive Western Ghats, said advocate Prince Issac, while arguing on behalf of petitioner K N Somashekar.
However, state government’s advocate Ashok Devaraj said trees have been felled only in private lands, for which permission is not required.
The bench directed the petitioner and the state government to submit required documents to substantiate their claims and posted the matter for hearing to November 7.
The state government is implementing the project to lift water from Yettinahole in Western Ghats to supply water to the parched districts of Kolar and Chikkaballapur.
Published 21 September 2016, 18:54 IST