SC panel's inspection reveals breach of forest norms in Mohali villages
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Mohali: Acting on a series of complaints regarding violations of forest and wildlife protection laws in Mohali's ecologically sensitive villages — Karoran, Siswan, and Masol, the central empowered committee (CEC), constituted by the Supreme Court, conducted a field inspection on Monday and found several breaches of forest norms.
The inspection team was accompanied by Dharam Sharma, principal chief conservator of forests, Punjab, and Divya P, sub-divisional magistrate of Kharar. The site visit included sensitive locations such as Bans Bagh (Bamboo Farm) in Siswan and Forest Hill Resort in Karoran village.
According to sources, the committee observed forest law violations at various sites and interacted with local complainants, who expressed their concerns in detail.
The panel has now summoned the complainants for a formal hearing as it prepares a comprehensive report to be submitted to the ministry of environment, forest and climate change.
The inspected villages fall under the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), 1900, and are also protected by the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and directives from the Supreme Court of India. Notably, the apex court had explicitly prohibited any commercial activity in these areas without prior clearance from the Government of India—particularly during the delisting process of specific lands.
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Despite these restrictions, reports indicate that large-scale violations, especially illegal hill-cutting, have persisted for years. Environmental activists and local residents allege rampant encroachments, leading to the degradation of the biodiversity-rich Shivalik Hills. They have also accused the forest department, district administration, Gmada, and panchayati raj institutions of negligence and inaction, raising concerns over the influence of an alleged land mafia operating in the region.
The central empowered committee, established in 2002 and restructured in 2008, functions as an advisory and monitoring body in forest and wildlife cases. It plays a key role in identifying violations, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations, and recommending enforcement actions.
The committee is expected to undertake a detailed inspection in the coming weeks to assess the extent of ecological damage, effectiveness of governmental interventions, and compliance with court orders.
Its findings could lead to stringent action against violators and have wider implications for conservation efforts across the state.
In a statement, Forest Hill Resort director Devinder Sandhu said, "Forest Hill Resort welcomed the members of Central Empowered Committee (CEC) for visiting the resort today. The management of resort showcased the green & eco-friendly environment at the resort being maintained by them and also provided all details of various approvals and permissions along with favourable orders of Punjab & Haryana high court and Supreme Court of India operating in their favour.
This project also has an approval under 2018 Eco Tourism Policy of Govt. of India granted to us. Besides all other statutory approvals from various departments like Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), excise department Punjab, Punjab Heritage & Tourism Promotion Board etc have been obtained.
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