Order of the National Green Tribunal (Eastern Zone Bench, Kolkata) in the matter of Centre for Environment Protection Vs Union of India & Others dated 26/09/2022.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, government of Mizoram in its affidavit to the NGT said that the state Public Works Department (PWD) has not implemented conditions of the In-Principle Approval of Stage-I granted by the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change.

The RTI reply from the Office of Executive Engineer, PWD, Multi Model Project Division, Lawngtlai, Government of Mizoram also mentions that the Mizoram, PWD has not yet paid the Compensatory Afforestation and Net Present Value for construction of the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMMTTP) Road. The reason cited being that the District Collector has admitted several land passes on degraded jhumland portion which overlapped the claim made by landowners. Forest issue has also not been cleared till date.

The NGT, considering the complaints made by the government of Mizoram (office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests) directed stay on all further construction of the road till conditions of In-Principle Approval of Stage-I granted by Ministry of Environment & Climate Change are complied with.