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According to official sources, the state government of Assam has not planted any Conocarpus trees. 

Digital Desk: The Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, Justice Sandeep Mehta, has recommended the Assam Government not to plant Conocarpus trees throughout the state as part of its urban area beautification programmes because the tree is damaging to both the environment and humans. This was stated by the High Court while hearing a PIL based on a suo moto PIL based on a report from The Sentinel.

The High Court heard the PIL filed in response to The Sentinel's April 18, 2023, report headed "23 Forest Divisions do not have approved working plans." On April 20, 2023, the high court took cognizance of the report. "The report reflects that 23 forest divisions in Assam do not have approved working plans," said the bench, which included Chief Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice Suman Shyam. This is the case despite the fact that the Supreme Court has repeatedly demanded that all forest divisions have operating plans.

The study further stated that the agency is administered according to the whims and fancies of a portion of Indian Forest Service personnel who do not even consult with the minister in question before developing policy. As a result, we take suo motto notice of this press report."

On the PIL, the Advocate General informed the Court that the working plan proposals of 21 of the state's 33 forest divisions had been delivered to Shillong's Regional Office of the Forest Ministry of Environment and Forest. He also stated that work on the working plans for two more forest divisions is already underway. He further claimed that sufficient efforts had been made to address the concern raised in the news report, the reason for which this suo moto PIL was filed.


On the PIL, the Advocate General informed the Court that the working plan proposals of 21 of the state's 33 forest divisions had been delivered to the Regional Office of the Forest Ministry of Environment and Forest, which is located in Shillong. He also stated that working plans for two further forest divisions are being developed. He further claimed that necessary actions had been taken to resolve the concern raised in the news article, on the basis of which this suo moto PIL was filed.

"I have seen that Arunachal has planted Conocarpus trees in a massive manner," Chief Justice Mehta said. He advised Assam Advocate General Devajit Saikia to raise the issue with the State Forest Department and ensure that Conocarpus trees are not planted in urban beautification projects because they are harmful to the environment.

According to official sources, the state government of Assam has not planted any Conocarpus trees. Massive quantities of eucalyptus trees were discovered in Assam in the 1980s, primarily along roadsides. Eucalyptus, which is still found in the state, is equally harmful to the ecosystem.

 

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