Gujarat High Court stays tree felling at Naroda GIDC
The GIDC had demolished the fences protecting the plants and trees in the nursery on August 9. Moreover, on the next day it put up nine plots of Naroda GIDC area for auction.
The nursery developed by Naroda Utility Services got a new lease of life with Gujarat High Court's restraining the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) from disturbing the nursery in any manner. Moreover, the court also asked the GIDC not to sell land of Naroda Industrial Estate (popularly known as Naroda GIDC).
The GIDC had demolished the fences protecting the plants and trees in the nursery on August 9. Moreover, on the next day it put up nine plots of Naroda GIDC area for auction. These plots are incidentally designated as 'playground' and have been used for planting trees to maintain green cover of the industrial area.
Anirudhhsinh Jadeja and nine others had moved court by filling special civic application. Chief Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya and Justice JB Pardiwala passed oral order directing the GIDC not to allot any plot pursuant to the tender notice dated August 10 until further order. The court also restrained GIDC from cutting the trees, plants and saplings situated at Naroda Industrial Estate nor demolish, remove or disturb the nursery situated in plot no. 450 of GIDC Estate, Naroda.
The total land area of the nine plots that is planned to be auctioned by GIDC is more than 20,000 square meter. For this land area, the GIDC has fixed an upset value of around Rs23.28 crore.
The plots on auction were used by the Naroda Utility Services for tree plantation. Shailesh Patwari, president of Naroda Utility Services, had told DNA, "We have been carrying out plantation activity and have developed a nursery for non-commercial purposes. Now, the GIDC wants to uproot trees and clear land to accommodate more industries." Patwari, who is also the president of Naroda Industrial Estate, said they have all the documents to prove the legality of the nursery and they had submitted them to the GIDC.
Patwari further said that the GIDC had given them a certificate for plantation in 1996-97 which mentions that, out of the total 12,000 saplings that were planted, 11,500 had survived. It had also granted it Rs2.5 lakh for approving plantation of 10,000 saplings.