Nagpur: The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has come down heavily on the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) for failing to provide adequate information to citizens regarding proposed tree felling in the controversial Aamrai area, even as it declined to stay the development project linked to the site.

Hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by environmental activist Anasuya Vinod Chhabrani and other concerned citizens, a division bench comprising Justice Anil S. Kilor and Justice Raj D. Wakode emphasized that citizens cannot be expected to participate meaningfully in the decision-making process without being given complete information about the proposed project.

The petition challenged public notices issued by the NMC regarding hearings connected to tree felling permissions. The petitioners argued that the notices lacked crucial details, including the exact nature of the development work and information necessary for citizens to file informed objections.

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During the hearing, the petitioners relied on a recent Bombay High Court ruling which held that authorities must disclose the location of trees, reasons for cutting them, and the identity of the agency seeking permission before inviting public objections.

The court observed that while one notice related to the Sahakar Nagar Ghat–Mulik Complex project contained adequate particulars, another notice issued on April 23 merely referred to tree cutting for “development work” without explaining what development was actually proposed.

Taking serious note of the omission, the bench remarked that the notice failed to provide essential details about the project. The court observed that transparency is fundamental to public participation and that citizens must not be kept in the dark when decisions affecting the environment are being considered.

While refusing to halt the project at this stage, the High Court directed the NMC to provide all information sought by the petitioners in writing within three days. If any documents cannot be supplied, the civic body must allow inspection of relevant records within the same timeframe.

The court further ordered that after receiving the information and inspecting the records, the petitioners should be given seven days to submit their objections. Only after considering those objections can the Tree Authority proceed with hearings and take a final decision.

The ruling is being seen as a significant development in the ongoing Aamrai controversy, with the High Court reinforcing the public’s right to transparency and accountability in matters involving environmental impact and tree felling.