The Manipur High Court has impleaded the Forest Survey of India as a respondent in a suo-motu PIL taken up in connection with a news report published on Monday by the Imphal Free Press under the headline, ‘State facing water shortage due to deforestation in hill areas’.
The IFP report highlighted that Manipur has been receiving adequate rainfall despite a change in the pattern. Despite the adequate rainfall, the state has been facing a water crisis. Joint director (now director) of Directorate of Environment and Climate Change T Brajakumar stated that the problem of water scarcity in the state is mainly due to deforestation in the hills.
He pointed out that deforestation in the hills has largely affected the amount of rainfall received in the state.
The HC implemented the Water Resources department, Manipur; PHED, Government of Manipur, and Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, through its secretary, as party respondents.
Amicus curiae of the PIL, advocate S Biswajit submitted that he has filed a preliminary report on October 3 and represented that the Forest Survey of India is a necessary party and therefore, he sought for its impleadment as party respondent in the PIL. Considering the nature of PIL, the High Court suo moto impleaded the Forest Survey of India, represented by the Director General, Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
ALSO READ: Manipur HC takes up suo-moto on Imphal Free Press news report
