Mohali: SC-appointed panel probes green violations in Mohali villages
Acting on complaints of violations of forest and wildlife protection laws in villages such as Karoran, Siswan, and Masol in Mohali district, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), constituted by the Supreme Court of India, conducted a site visit on Monday.
The committee was accompanied by Dharam Sharma, principal chief conservator of forests, Punjab, and Divya P, sub-divisional magistrate of Kharar.
The inspection included a visit to Bans Bagh (Bamboo Farm) in Siswan and Forest Hill Resort in Karoran village.
The complainants were also present during the visit and shared their concerns directly with the committee, which asked them to appear for a formal hearing.
Following this, the CEC is expected to conduct a comprehensive site inspection to assess the extent of damage to forest land, wildlife and the local environment. It will also evaluate the effectiveness of timely interventions by government departments concerned. Based on its findings, a report will be submitted to the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change.
As per a press statement issued by Forest Hill Resort, the management submitted all relevant approvals, and orders from the Punjab and Haryana high court and the Supreme Court that support their operations.
The villages in question fall under the jurisdiction of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), 1900, and are protected by the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, as well as Supreme Court orders. Even during the delisting process for certain areas, the apex court had explicitly prohibited any commercial activity without prior approval from the Government of India.
Despite these restrictions, large-scale violations—particularly illegal hill-cutting—have allegedly persisted for years, resulting in the degradation of ecologically sensitive and biodiversity-rich regions of the Shivalik Hills. Local residents and environmental activists have accused the forest department, district administration, GMADA and panchayati raj institutions of negligence and failure to curb rampant encroachments.
The Central Empowered Committee, established by the Supreme Court in 2002 and reconstituted in 2008, functions as an advisory and monitoring body in cases related to forest and wildlife conservation. It assists in identifying non-compliance with environmental laws and court directives, and recommends appropriate enforcement actions to the environment ministry.
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