India's National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken serious note of a concerning decline in Manipur's forest cover. The tribunal issued notices to relevant authorities, seeking a response on the state's dwindling forest area.
The NGT was hearing a matter where it had taken cognisance of a media report in that had quoted state chief minister N Biren Singh’s post on social media platform X.
The report highlighted a significant decrease in forest cover, dropping from 17,475 square kilometres in 1987 to 16,598 square kilometres in 2021. This translates to a loss of 877 square kilometres of vital forest land.
A bench led by NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel expressed concern, viewing the news report as a potential indicator of non-compliance with environmental regulations.
The substantial loss of forest cover, the NGT noted, warranted a thorough investigation.
"The news item raises a substantial issue relating to compliance with environmental norms," the bench said.
Consequently, the tribunal issued notices to the Shillong regional office of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and the Kolkata regional director of the Forest Survey of India (FSI).
These authorities have been directed to file comprehensive responses at least a week before the next hearing scheduled for July 31st, 2024.
"Let notice be issued to the above respondents for filing the response at least one week before the next date of hearing (on July 31)," the tribunal said in an order dated May 9.
The NGT further directed that this case be linked to a larger, ongoing matter concerning nationwide forest land loss.
Manipur's dwindling forests raise critical environmental concerns. The NGT's intervention serves as a wake-up call, urging authorities to take decisive action to protect and restore the state's vital forest cover.
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