Supreme Court quashes High Court’s decision in Hasdeo Aranya case

Raipur/New Delhi (Team Newsbuddy). The Supreme Court has quashed the Chhattisgarh High Court’s decision on a petition seeking a ban on cutting of trees in the Parsa East Kete Basan (PEKB) coal block in Hasdeo Aranya area of ​​Chhattisgarh. A three-member bench of the Supreme Court, consisting of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Mishra, directed the High Court to re-hear the petition within a month and decide it on merits.

Hasdeo Aranya’s PEKB coal block has been allotted to Rajasthan State Power Generation Corporation, which is being operated by the Adani Group. Hasdeo Aranya Sangharsh Samiti had filed a petition in the High Court regarding the felling of trees in this area, in which they had alleged illegal cancellation of the community forest rights of the forest.

Earlier in 2022, the Sangharsh Samiti had approached the High Court regarding the felling in the same case, but the petition was dismissed. After this, an appeal was made to the Supreme Court, and the court allowed the petitioner to challenge the forest permission orders. The Sangharsh Samiti then filed a revised petition in the Chhattisgarh High Court, which was again dismissed on 2 May 2024.

Today, the Supreme Court quashed this decision of the High Court and directed that the petition be heard again within a month. Senior advocate Chandra Uday Singh presented arguments on behalf of the petitioner. The Sangharsh Samiti has consistently opposed the felling of trees, saying that this area is environmentally important and is linked to the livelihood of the tribal community.