Judge calls for balance between environment and development

The Hindu, Dec 20, 2007

Bhubaneswar (PTI): Coming down on those focusing on protection of forests and wildlife, Justice Arijit Pasayat of the Supreme Court, called for a balance between environmental concerns and development.

Justice Pasayat, also a member of the apex court's environment and forest bench, said "two weeks back we were told there are more than 300 reserve forests in the country, but of them hardly 20 or 25 deserve to be called as reserve forests."

Giving an example of the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary, he said he had imposed a stay on the construction of a bridge as an Orissa High Court judge on being told that such activities inside the protected area would adversely affect the ecology of the place.

When he later visited Bhitarkanika area, Justice Pasayat found children playing football in places which were said to be dense mangrove forest cover. "People were dying there due to snake bite as they failed to reach hospital in time owing to lack of proper roads and bridges," he added.

Justice Pasayat, one of the three members of the Supreme Court bench which recently set aside views of adverse impact of mining on the ecology of Niyamgiri hills in Kalahandi district in the Vedanta case, mentioned that there was virtually a conflict between environmental concerns and development.

"We have to choose between the two and strike a balance. We cannot also enforce the laws in the way that they become draconian, otherwise, in the name of protecting forests, we will cause damage to the society at large," he said.

He said "we must think how much we are benefiting human beings by protecting forests."

Justice Pasayat was speaking at a seminar on Tuesday.