<div>The National Green Tribunal on Monday pulled up the National Tiger Conservation Authority for its failure to present the government’s response in the court on felling of trees in Kanha-Pench Tiger Reserve, though the authority was given three weeks time.<br /><br />The authority told the green court that it could not submit its response as the affidavit was yet to be approved by the Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar.<br /><br />On July 3, the NGT bench headed by Justice U D Salvi gave the NTCA ten days to file the response and it was extended later. On Friday, the NTCA counsel replied the response was still pending with the minister. “This raises questions on the independence of the NTCA. Why did the NTCA choose to consult the Ministry? The NTCA is an independent statutory authority,” said Nagpur-based wildlife biologist Milind Pariwakam, who challenged the controversial expansion of the National Highway-7 that include the Kanha-Pench corridor and passes through two crucial tiger reserves.<br /><br />Environmentalists say the road-widening would not only adversely impact the tiger reserves, but is likely to have an ecologically harmful fall out on other protected areas like Nagzira, New Nagzira, Koka, Navegaon National Park and Navegaon Wildlife Sanctuary.<br /><br />The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, too recommended strong mitigating measures if the government wants to continue with the project. But Javadekar turned down the WII suggestions.<br /><br />Soon after Javadekar trashed the WII report, the National Highway Authority of India obtained the government permission on tree felling in a 37 km stretch between Mansar on Maharashtra side and Khawasa on Madhya Pradesh border inside the forest.</div>
<div>The National Green Tribunal on Monday pulled up the National Tiger Conservation Authority for its failure to present the government’s response in the court on felling of trees in Kanha-Pench Tiger Reserve, though the authority was given three weeks time.<br /><br />The authority told the green court that it could not submit its response as the affidavit was yet to be approved by the Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar.<br /><br />On July 3, the NGT bench headed by Justice U D Salvi gave the NTCA ten days to file the response and it was extended later. On Friday, the NTCA counsel replied the response was still pending with the minister. “This raises questions on the independence of the NTCA. Why did the NTCA choose to consult the Ministry? The NTCA is an independent statutory authority,” said Nagpur-based wildlife biologist Milind Pariwakam, who challenged the controversial expansion of the National Highway-7 that include the Kanha-Pench corridor and passes through two crucial tiger reserves.<br /><br />Environmentalists say the road-widening would not only adversely impact the tiger reserves, but is likely to have an ecologically harmful fall out on other protected areas like Nagzira, New Nagzira, Koka, Navegaon National Park and Navegaon Wildlife Sanctuary.<br /><br />The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, too recommended strong mitigating measures if the government wants to continue with the project. But Javadekar turned down the WII suggestions.<br /><br />Soon after Javadekar trashed the WII report, the National Highway Authority of India obtained the government permission on tree felling in a 37 km stretch between Mansar on Maharashtra side and Khawasa on Madhya Pradesh border inside the forest.</div>
