Forest officials should be accountable for deforestation: SC

New Delhi, Feb 23 (UNI) The Supreme Court today expressed serious concern on sharp depletion of forest areas in the country when informed by the amicus curiae Harish Salve that the country has lost about 26000 sq km of forest area due to illegal cutting and selling of trees.

A bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices Arijit Pasayat and S H Kapadia said the time has come to fix accountability of the forest officials concerned for allowing unchecked smuggling of woods in collusion with forest mafia.

Mr Salve pointed to Section 2 of the National Forest Policy which puts blanket embargo against deforestation without prior permission of the Central Government.

He said 26000 acres of dense forest has been converted into an open forest due to large-scale illegal selling of trees.

''Almost in all states, large chunks of forest areas are being denuded of the greenery and nobody should be surprised by the sharp rise in temperatures throughout the country and also by the fact that there is scanty rain fall as the ecological balance has been thrown out of gear,'' he said adding that unless and until brakes were applied immediately to check the menace of deforestation, the country would be in for rude shock.

The court adjourned hearing till March 20, when Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) will depose before it.

UNI