Supreme Court Orders Chhattisgarh High Court to Decide on Hasdeo Tree Felling Case Within a Month
New Delhi: In a significant development, the Supreme Court has overturned the Chhattisgarh High Court’s May 2, 2024 order, which had dismissed a petition by the Hasdeo Aranya Sangharsh Samiti seeking to halt tree felling in the PEKB coal block. The Supreme Court bench, led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and comprising Justices Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra, directed the High Court to re-examine the petition and deliver a ruling within one month. The Supreme Court made it clear that the decision must be based on the merits of the case.
This marks the third time the High Court has been asked to review the case, as previous petitions were dismissed on technical grounds. The Hasdeo Aranya Sangharsh Samiti had filed the petition in the Bilaspur High Court to stop tree felling in Phase-2 of the PEKB coal block, which is allocated to the Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RRVUNL) and operated by the Adani Group. The petitioners argued that the forest area involved falls under Community Forest Rights (CFR) granted to villages like Ghatbarra, which were unlawfully revoked.
Back in 2022, when the tree felling began in Phase-2, the Hasdeo Aranya Sangharsh Samiti approached the High Court to impose a stay. However, the High Court dismissed the plea, stating that the committee had not challenged the Forest Clearance orders from February 2 and March 25, 2022. The Samiti then moved the Supreme Court, which on October 16, 2023, dismissed their Special Leave Petition (SLP) but allowed them to challenge the forest clearance orders through an amended petition.
Following this directive, the Samiti submitted an amended petition in November 2023, seeking a halt to the tree felling. While the High Court accepted the amendment, it dismissed the request to stop the tree felling on May 2, 2024, citing the previous dismissal as grounds. Once again, the petition was dismissed without being assessed on its merits.
Today, the Supreme Court took a strong stance, instructing the High Court to hear the case on its merits and issue a ruling within one month. Furthermore, the Supreme Court granted the petitioners the liberty to approach the apex court again if the High Court fails to conclude the hearing within the stipulated timeframe.
Senior advocate Chander Uday Singh, representing the petitioners, presented the arguments before the Supreme Court, supported by advocate Pyoli.
This ruling signals a crucial turn in the battle to protect Hasdeo Aranya’s forests, as the case has now been fast-tracked for a conclusive resolution.
