Home / Environment / CAG Slams Gujarat Eco-Rule Violations in Forest Areas
CAG Slams Gujarat Eco-Rule Violations in Forest Areas
25 Mar
Summary
- CAG found bypassed environmental rules for road projects near protected forests.
- Land diverted for widening without mandatory federal forest clearance.
- Misuse of NOCs and land permissions occurred near protected areas.
A recent audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has uncovered significant violations of environmental regulations concerning road widening projects and land-use approvals near Gujarat's protected forests and wildlife sanctuaries. Government agencies have been repeatedly bypassing environmental rules and failing to coordinate effectively.
The audit report, covering periods up to March 2024, found that land was diverted for road widening projects within wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, eco-sensitive zones, and protected forests. Crucially, these diversions occurred without obtaining the mandatory clearance from the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC), which are vital for regulating development in ecologically fragile areas.
Furthermore, the audit flagged extensive misuse of no objection certificates (NOCs) and non-agricultural (NA) land permissions. In numerous instances, NA permissions were granted in direct violation of eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) notifications and the state's own peripheral development policies. Some district collectors issued NA permissions without securing the necessary NOCs from the forest department, with other permissions exceeding the scope authorized by the NOCs.
Specific cases identified include 35 instances across 16 villages where NA permission was granted between May 2019 and November 2024 without the competent forest authority's NOC. This included land parcels within one kilometer of Blackbuck National Park and Jambughoda Wildlife Sanctuary, areas with strict construction restrictions. In six other cases, "multipurpose" NA permissions were issued despite NOCs being granted for limited purposes like eco-tourism or residential use.
The report also detailed instances where recommendations against issuing NOCs were overridden. For example, the chief conservator of forests (wildlife circle) in Junagadh recommended against NOCs in five cases, but the chief wildlife warden approved them regardless. Additionally, petrol pumps were classified as "regulated" activities in ESZs in Banaskantha, despite their potential hazardous nature suggesting a "prohibited" status. In Gir East, solar plants were permitted as "green technology," though auditors determined they constituted industrial production activity, which would typically warrant a stricter review.
