HC panel to prepare status report on trees

SHILLONG: A committee set up by the High Court will prepare a status report of the trees marked for felling and suggest appropriate action.
Following a submission by petitioner K Paul during the last hearing, KP Mohapatra, Principal Scientist Forestry, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (Shillong), and SK Singh, scientist at Botanical Survey of India in the city, were present during the hearing on Thursday.
“After hearing the petitioner and the government advocate and having taken into account the urgency of the matter, it appeared proper that an Advisory Committee be constituted for the assistance of this court,” the HC said. The committee – comprising S Ashutosh, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Climate Change, and KP Mohapatra, principal scientist of forestry at Indian Council of Agricultural Research -may submit its report latest by September 11.
The trees which will be examined have been listed by the commissioner appointed by the court in his report.
The state government will provide Mohapatra all the necessary logistics support. The matter relating to his honorarium will be considered later.
The petitioner was also asked to supply a copy of the report of the commissioner to Mohapatra.
The matter has been listed for hearing on September 13.